Malec Oneshots :)
by BooksBeforeLife
Summary: It's exactly what the title says. Fluff, angst, AU, and basically anything else. Taking requests!
1. Clients

**_As always, thank you to my editor, Nicole!_**

 _ **I realized that last chapter I forgot to put a disclaimer, so:**_

 _ **Disclaimer: if you've read the books, you already know what belongs to the amazing Cassandra Clare and what belongs to me. :)**_

As a general rule, Magnus Bane considered himself to be a very appreciative person. He had a well-paying job that rarely required him to leave his loft; he was respected by many and held great power in the Downworld; and best of all, he had the most lovely and sexy boyfriend anyone could ever ask for. He knew that it took a little bit of luck to get where he was, and he was thankful that he was given good fortune.

It was nights like these, however, that made Magnus question how lucky he'd actually gotten. His Shadowhunter was out patrolling, he had a stack of complaints sitting on his desk waiting to be sorted, and the incessant buzzing of his doorbell was doing nothing to improve his already roaring headache.

Magnus stalked out of his office and slammed his hand against the speaker. "What could possibly be so important that you couldn't just ring the bell once?!"

A deep, raspy voice answered him in what was practically a growl, "Bane, let us up."

Magnus let out an irritated huff. "And why would I do that?"

"We need you to settle an argument for us," a smooth, higher-pitched voice chimed in angrily.

"Again, why would I do that?" Magnus snapped. "I don't recognize either of your voices, meaning I don't even know who you _are_. I'm the High Warlock of Brooklyn. I have better things to do than settle a petty argument for strangers."

Magnus was about to pull his hand away when the one with the higher-pitched voice spoke up, "We have money!"

Magnus sighed and clicked the button to let them up. _If it will get them to leave faster..._

When his front door opened, Magnus turned to face his two annoyances with a glare. The first was a large man, even taller than him, with a full beard, bushy eyebrows, and hair just about everywhere else as well. A blue V-neck which helped to... _accentuate_ his chest hair was paired with loose, torn jeans tucked into old, brown lace-up boots. His fists were clenched at his side and his eyes portrayed anger and aggression. The second was a slim and beautiful man-though he looked no more than twenty, he carried himself in such a way that made it clear he was in fact much older than he looked. His black hair sharply contrasted against his pale skin and his dark eyes showed nothing but deviance.

A vampire and a werewolf, Magnus noted with a frown. He should have guessed.

"I collect my fee upfront," he informed them, eyes narrowed.

This seemed to break them out of the trance they were in-whether it was due to the Victorian furniture and decorations the apartment sported today or Magnus's current state of dress: bright red drop crotch joggers paired with his $1495 Alexander McQueen bomber jacket, left open in the front, Magnus didn't know.

The vampire fished around in his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. He offered it to Magnus.

"Is this a joke to you?" Magnus questioned.

"It's all I have!" he responded.

"Get out," came Magnus's stern reply.

"Just hear us out," the werewolf spoke rapidly. "We were on the corner of 71st Road and Austin-"

Magnus slowly held up his hand, signalling for the man to stop. "71st and Austin is miles from here. In fact-" Magnus felt his hands twitch as sparks danced on his fingertips. "-it's in Queens."

"Well, yeah, so what?" The werewolf asked nervously.

"So what?" Magnus felt himself starting to shake, completely furious. "First, you interrupt me from my _actual_ work by ringing my doorbell over and over again! You come over here with this entitled little attitude acting like it's my job to help you! Then, so I don't turn you away, you blatantly lie to me in order to get into _my home_! And now you tell me this is all because of something that happened in _Queens_!" Magnus's voice echoed throughout the apartment. "I am the High Warlock of _Brooklyn_! Queens is not even in my jurisdiction! If you have a problem, you take it up with the High Warlock of Queens! _Not me_!"

"Everyone knows that Gerald Everett can't do shit," the vampire argued.

Magnus crossed his arms over his chest and took a step closer to the pair before he spoke, voice intimidatingly steady, "That is _not_ my problem."

The three stared each other down in absolute silence for a few moments until the opening of the door sounded throughout the room.

"Magnus, you will not believe-"

"He's busy, kid," the werewolf interrupted.

"Come back later," added the vampire.

"Excuse me?" Alec asked incredulously, taking in the situation. "I have much more of a right to be here than you do."

"Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, boy," the vampire snapped. "Who the fuck do you think you are anyway?"

With a flick of his hand, Magnus sent a vase flying just passed the vampire's head and smashing into the wall beside him. The man looked at him in shock.

" _No one_ talks to my boyfriend like that," Magnus spoke. "Get out right now or _I promise_ you will regret it."

"But we just need-"

"Did you not understand him?" Alec yelled, surprising everyone. He moved so he was standing directly in front of the two men he was addressing. "I don't know what you did or why you're here, but you need to get out. Magnus Bane is the _High Warlock of Brooklyn_. He can crush either of you like a bug. I've just spent six hours killing demons and dealing with rogue Downworlders and I _will not hesitate_ to do the same to you. Get out of our home within the next ten seconds if you value your dignity and most of your limbs."

Without another word, they were both out the door. Alec sighed and looked over to the broken pieces of vase scattered on the floor. "We should clean that up."

Alec turned back to his boyfriend and saw an animalistic gleam in the other's eyes. "What is it?"

"Watching you tell those two idiots off was really fucking hot and I have quite a lot of tension I need to let go of so how about we clean up that vase in the morning and do something far more enjoyable for both of us right now?"

"I'd like that very much," Alec said before crashing his lips against Magnus's and stumbling to the bedroom.

* * *

Later that night after their activities, Magnus and Alec were cuddled together in their bed, blissfully content and nearly asleep.

"Thank you for earlier," Magnus mumbled against the top of Alec's head.

"Which part?" Alec asked with a small grin.

Magnus smiled back. "For getting them out. I was about to lose my temper and that could've ended very badly, so thank you."

"Anytime, Magnus," Alec responded sleepily. "It's part of being a couple. Your problems become mine."

Magnus hummed happily. "I love you."

"I love you too."

 _ **Please review and send in requests! :)**_


	2. Over the Years

_**I had a lot of fun writing this one, so I hope you guys like it. If you haven't read TBC, parts of it will be a bit confusing for you, but it's nothing too bad.**_

 _ **Thank you to my beautiful and amazing editor! Enjoy!**_

* * *

Two

Magnus had really hoped that it would be many more years before he confronted the Lightwoods again, but as luck would have it, he was being forced to face them less than three years after the tragic incident with the Whitelaws. In retrospect, it was really quite amazing that he hadn't met with them sooner given his status as High Warlock and their status as the heads of the New York Institute. This piece of information, however, did nothing to soothe his dread for what would certainly be an extraordinarily awkward and uncomfortable situation.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Magnus knocked firmly on the door to the Institute and waited, arms crossed over his chest. After a minute or so, the door opened revealing Robert Lightwood looking...exhausted. Admittedly, he was still quite handsome (a trait all Lightwoods seem to share), but his shoulders sagged, his hair was in disarray, and he had some of the largest bags under his eyes that Magnus had ever seen.

"Are you alright?" Magnus asked, strangely concerned for the man he had strongly disliked for quite a few years.

"I'm fine. I'll show you to the office," he responded brusquely.

Magnus wasn't surprised to see that Maryse had the same disheveled appearance as her husband.

"Warlock Bane." She stood from behind the desk to greet him, offering him her hand. "I'm so glad we could finally meet you in more fortunate circumstances."

Magnus shook her hand cautiously. "As am I," he responded, not entirely truthfully, though he did appreciate that she seemed to be offering him the metaphorical olive branch.

She smiled tightly. "Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing to the chair facing the desk. Robert remained standing near the doorway.

The meeting progressed much as Magnus had expected, simply discussing the happenings in the Downworld and what Magnus's fees were for his services-opening Portals, healing wounded Shadowhunters, etc. He found himself being escorted out of the office within twenty minutes.

"Thank you for your time, Warlock Bane," Maryse told him. Magnus found himself liking this woman despite his efforts. She was stern but reasonable and certainly more charismatic than her husband.

As Magnus rounded a corner, he felt a force hit his calves. When he looked down, he was met with the bluest eyes he had seen in nearly one hundred years.

"Alexander!" A man Magnus recognized as Hodge Starkweather, another former Circle member, bounded after the child, an infant in his arms. "Look where you're going!"

Magnus then understood why Maryse and Robert looked the way they did-a rambunctious toddler and a newborn cannot be a recipe for a good night's sleep.

"I'm sowwy, Hodge," the kid replied before looking back up at Magnus. "I'm sowwy..."

"Magnus Bane," Magnus told him, unsure of what to do.

"I'm sowwy, Magnus Bane," the child spoke.

"Alexander, you have to be careful," Robert scolded. "You're a Shadowhunter! You know there's a certain way you're expected to behave."

"I know, I'm sowwy," the kid spoke again, sullen.

"Come on, Alec. You can help me with your sister," Hodge said to the young boy. "Leave your parents to attend to their business."

The pair of them hurried away as Maryse turned to Magnus. "I'm so sorry for him. You know how toddlers can be."

"It's no problem," Magnus assured. Then, with a short laugh. "He's a cute kid."

Seven

"There's been an incident at the Chicago Institute," Hodge told him. "Maryse and Robert were asked to attend to it."

"I don't understand what trouble in Chicago has to do with me," Magnus informed the group, mildly annoyed that he had been woken at eight in the morning for this.

"We need you to make a Portal," Robert said. "And close it when we get through."

"Do you need a return trip as well?" Magnus asked.

"No, we can just get one of the warlocks or witches in Chicago to do it," Maryse replied.

You could've gotten practically any other warlock or witch in New York City to open a Portal as well, Magnus thought with irritation. Why me?

Nonetheless, Magnus went to work and in no time, the couple was in Chicago.

"I have your payment in the library if you would follow me," Hodge spoke. He turned to leave without waiting for a response and Magnus dutifully hurried after him.

"Here." Hodge place the herbs in Magnus's hands (he needed them for a spell he had been working on). "I trust you can see yourself out."

Magnus nodded and made his way out.

"Hey!" A high-pitched voice stopped him. He turned around to see a little girl with dark hair and dark eyes in a floral tank top and jean-shorts. "Who are you?"

"Isabelle, you're being rude!" A boy with bright blue eyes and dark hair to match the girl's-undoubtedly the older Lightwood child-came up behind her.

The girl, Isabelle, crossed her arms, ignoring her brother. "You're a Downworlder. You shouldn't be here!"

"Isabelle!" Her brother protested.

Magnus smirked, amused by the children. "Well, Ms. Lightwood, I'm Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn. Your parents hired me to make a Portal. I was just on my way out, if that's alright with you."

"Oh," she said, dejected. "I'm sorry. I thought you were a bad guy."

"Isabelle!" The boy spoke again, exasperated.

Magnus gave the two a sad smile. "You're hardly the first Shadowhunter to mistake me for a bad guy, Isabelle. It was a pleasure meeting you both."

With that he turned and walked away, leaving two very confused children in his wake.

Twelve

"One of you must know something," Maryse exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "You're the heads of your groups. This is what you're supposed to be informed about!"

"Plenty of Downworlders don't align with us," Gabriel, the leader of the New York werewolf pack, argued. "In the same way there are still plenty of Shadowhunters who don't follow the Accords, there are Downworlders who hate and refuse to align with Shadowhunters."

Maryse was affronted by his statement. "All Shadowhunters follow the Accords! If they do not, they are put on trial and stripped of their marks!"

This exclamation was met with scoffs and eye-rolls from the Downworlders present in the room, though no further comment was made regarding the situation.

"Mrs. Lightwood," Magnus began carefully, attempting to ease the tension in the room, "we all agree that the seemingly random attacks on Shadowhunters in New York is highly unfortunate and should be stopped. However, the four of us have no idea who's behind this-we didn't even know it was happening. I'm sure if any of us hear anything about it, we'll bring the information straight to you."

"Quite frankly, I'm offended that you think the faeries are involved in this mess," the Faerie Queen spoke.

Camille, appearing as a hologram due to her inability to stand on sacred ground, scoffed. "You may be offended, Your Majesty, but you can't be surprised. It's what Shadowhunters do-blame innocent Downworlders for all their problems."

"Camille," Magnus warned.

"Come on, Magnus. Let's not allow your inexplicable attachment to Shadowhunters to get in the way of what is clearly just another attempt of theirs to put themselves above the likes of us," Camille spat.

"Miss Belcourt-" Maryse started, but Magnus cut her off to address Camille.

"Let's not allow your age-old prejudices to blow this situation way out proportion," he shot back.

"Stop bickering like children," the Faerie Queen snapped. "You're both hundreds of years old. Pull yourselves together."

Magnus and Camille both sent each other and the Queen sharp glares.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Maryse spoke. "For the record, it was not my intention to offend anyone. I'm just trying to protect my people. I trust that if any of you hear anything, the first person to be informed will be my husband or me. I'll show you out."

Camille's hologram disappeared and the rest of them walked with Maryse out of the room. As they walked passed an open doorway, Magnus looked inside to see three young children. Two boys who appeared to be relatively the same age-one blond and one dark-haired-were wrestling while a slightly younger brunette girl seemed to be refereeing. Magnus suddenly understood why Maryse had been so persistent about discovering the identity of the attacker-her children were nearly ready to begin hunting. She was afraid for the safety of her family.

Magnus felt something as he looked at Maryse Lightwood that he hadn't felt since Tessa Gray-sympathy. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to send the children that you had raised as your own into a world where the chances were extremely high that they wouldn't live to see thirty. To trust that you had trained them well enough to make it-and the heartbreak you would feel if you discovered you hadn't.

Fifteen

"I really don't understand how you do it," Magnus said, holding the door open for his friend. "I never have."

"I like healing people, Magnus. It's what I'm good at," Catarine told him as they sat down, still in her scrubs.

"You know how bad you make the rest of us look, right?" Magnus laughed.

"Well, maybe if you would just let go of a little bit of your pride that wouldn't be a problem," she teased.

"Hi, my name is Kaelie, I'll be your waitress today," a perky pixie told them, notepad in hand. "What can I get for you two?"

They ordered and spent the next hour just eating and chatting about their lives. It was nice, a constant perk of Catrina's presence.

"That Shadowhunter keeps looking at you," she whispered at the end of their meal, while they were finishing up their coffee.

Magnus rolled his eyes, not bothering to look. "Shadowhunters are always staring at me. I mean-have you ever seen me?"

Catarina smirked. "That's not what I meant. Just look."

Magnus glanced over his shoulder and for a moment his eyes met startlingly beautiful blue ones. The boy immediately looked away, his cheeks turning red. He was sitting with a handsome blonde boy and a beautiful dark-haired girl who were engrossed in a conversation about something-probably weapons. The group were the Lightwood kids, no doubt about it.

Magnus turned back to Catarina. "If only he wasn't a Shadowhunter. He's gorgeous, he could get any boy he wanted."

Catarina clenched her fists. "The Clave has plenty of issues to compete with, but I think that one might take the cake. I've never understood how people will turn away from their own simply because of something as trivial as sexuality."

"Trust me, love, you don't need to tell me that," Magnus responded.

"Do you think they'll ever come around on this?" Catarina asked, frowning.

"I certainly hope they do. That poor kid."

Seventeen

He had promised himself years ago that he wouldn't get seriously involved with Shadowhunters ever again. Too much heartbreak.

But honestly, how could he stop himself when he saw that boy. Black hair and blue eyes-his favorite combination. Plus, that adorable blush he was blessed with when Magnus had pointed out his good-looks. Alexander Lightwood was truly the whole package.

It's not like anything will come of it, Magnus thought to himself. There's no harm in a little flirting.

Twenty-Three

"What's up with you?" Alec asked as they walked through Central Park, hand-in-hand. "You've been acting weird all day-especially during dinner."

It was a brisk autumn night, not too cold nor too hot. It was Magnus's favorite time of the year-the trees were red and yellow with leaves scattered throughout the ground, the latest fashion trends always seemed to include some sort of incredibly stylish jacket, and it always seemed to have such an unexplainable positive energy that Magnus just adored.

"Nothing's up, darling," Magnus said, which didn't convince Alec in the slightest.

"Don't lie to me, Magnus," Alec spoke sternly. "Is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything."

"Could we sit down?" Magnus asked gesturing toward a bench they had just walked passed. Alec nodded and they took a seat.

"So what has you so bothered?" Alec questioned, in what he hoped was a calming tone of voice.

Magnus took a deep breath. "I'm going to talk and you're not going to interrupt me. You'll know when I'm finished." Alec nodded, surprised to see his usually steady and confident boyfriend so nervous.

"When I first learned that you existed I called you a 'repellent brat.' That was when your parents were still in the Circle and we were fighting on opposite sides. After the Uprising when the Circle was defeated, your parents were banished from Idris unless they were there on official business and sent to run the New York Institute. You already know this story though, so I'll skip ahead a bit. I didn't see your parents again for a few years. When I finally did, I realize that they weren't the terrible people I had thought they were. They were simply misguided by a monster of a man. The day I realized this was also the first day I saw you. As I was leaving the Institute, a two-year-old you ran into my legs. You quickly told me you were 'sowwy' for running into me." This statement caused Alec's cheeks to flush and Magnus grinned. "You were absolutely precious. Obviously, I didn't imagine that I would fall in love with you then, but twenty years later here we are.

"Alexander, you are by far the most important person in my life. You're more important to me than anyone else has ever been. Every night when I fall asleep with you laying in my arms, I'm struck with how unbelievably lucky I am. We had so much working against us, love-the Clave, my age. Virtually all of my friends were certain you would break my heart-but here we are. I have never been more devastated than I was for the short time we were broken up. That affirmed what I had known be true for quite some time-we are so much better when we're together. I am so madly in love with you, and it finally seems like the right for me to officially lock you down."

Magnus reached into his pocket and got down on one knee. Alec's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Alexander Lightwood, will you please do me the honor of becoming my husband?"

Alec laughed. "That's what you were so nervous about? Of course, I'll marry you, Magnus!"

Magnus smiled, slipping the ring on Alec's finger. He stood up and pulled his fiance in for a kiss, both of them sharing the knowledge that it was only one of many, many more to come.

 _ **Let me know what you want to read next! I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it.**_


	3. Knock

_**This oneshot isn't quite smut but it's certainly not PG. You've been warned.**_

 _ **I forgot the disclaimer again last chapter (because I'm trash), so:**_

 _ **Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare. The only thing I own is the plot line.**_

 _ **Now onto the story! :)**_

Alec Lightwood loved his family. He really did. Even on their worst days, they were able to accept and appreciate each other for their many, _many_ differences (well, for the most part).

However, there was one habit that all the Lightwoods seemed to have in common: the inability to knock before entering a room. This habit didn't bother Alec until he started dating a very adventurous and sexually active warlock. Nowadays, it was a habit he really wished the rest of his family would break.

Because of this habit (and much to the distress of all parties involved), every single Lightwood had walked in on Alec and Magnus in some sort of _compromising_ position at some point or another.

 _ **July 27, 2008: Robert**_

It was Isabelle's seventeenth birthday, and for reasons that Alec still didn't fully understand, their parents had decided it appropriate to throw her a massive and elegant party at the Institute. Isabelle, of course, had no objections to a celebration in her honor, and that's how Alec ended up in the Institute's ballroom, listening to his father toast to his sister.

To his parents credit, no expense had been spared. The room was decked out in luxurious drapes, colorful flowers, and detailed glasswork. They were being served the finest champagne along with all of Izzy's favorite foods; the dress code was unsurprisingly black tie. It was certainly a spectacular gathering; it was just rather over the top.

"She's turning seventeen, correct?" Magnus whispered to Alec during the applause after Robert's toast. They had been standing by a table near the entrance while steadily drinking their champagne for quite some time now, and they were both feeling a bit buzzed.

Alec nodded in response to the question. Magnus looked puzzled.

"It's not even a major birthday," he said, taking another sip of his drink. "She won't be an adult for another year. Did they ever throw you a party like this?"

Alec shook his head. Realizing that he wasn't painting the best picture of his parents, he added, "Admittedly, I never wanted one. I'm sure they knew that."

"I didn't even have a birthday party of this status when I turned _one-hundred_ ," Magnus mused.

They both finished their glasses, still pondering this peculiar celebration.

Magnus turned to his boyfriend, a gleam in his eyes. He spoke in a low voice, "Is there anywhere we can go to do...well, do something a tad more fun than just standing here questioning the caliber of this occasion?"

"Do you mean..?" Alec raised an eyebrow at Magnus, who rolled his eyes.

"Is there anywhere we can go to have sex?"

Alec blushed. "I think the kitchen should be clear..."

Two minutes later the couple was kissing feverishly against the counters, hands roaming each other's bodies. Alec hopped up on the countertop as Magnus shrugged off his suit jacket. Their mouths connected again, a mixture of lips, teeth, and tongue.

Alec unbuttoned most of Magnus's shirt to expose his neck where he began sucking and biting, certainly leaving a mark or two. Alec bit down hard on Magnus's sweet spot and was rewarded with a loud moan of his name.

They were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Magnus immediately began to button up his shirt and turned around while Alec slid off the counter.

"Dad," he said, completely mortified. "I-"

"Alexander, it is your sister's birthday," Robert interrupted with a stone-cold face. "It would be in your best interest to rejoin the party and stay away from our kitchen."

Alec opened his mouth to respond, then-seemingly thinking better of it-closed it and silently stalked out of the room, swiftly followed by Magnus.

 _ **February 3, 2009: Jace**_

Looking back on it, Alec realized that this incident was really their own fault. He should've seen it coming, given the circumstances.

It was eight in the morning-a fairly normal time for Alec to be awake. Shadowhunters tend to rise early.

Warlocks, however, seem to enjoy sleeping until the sun is already high in the sky. Unfortunately for Magnus, he had an appointment at 9:30 that couldn't be arranged any other time.

"Magnus," Alec murmured, gently shaking his boyfriend awake. "You have to get up or you're going to be late."

The warlock groaned and buried his face in the pillow. "Don't wanna," he muttered, waving Alec away in his half-asleep state.

"Magnus Bane, if you do not get up right now I promise I will give all your makeup products to Isabelle," Alec threatened.

Magnus moaned but sat up begrudgingly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I'm up. Please don't give my highly-expensive products to your sister."

Alec scoffed. "It's not like you actually paid for any of it."

"I object to your accusation," Magnus replied, yawning and stretching his long arms above his head. ALec rolled his eyes.

"So where's Wonder Boy?" Magnus asked with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you usually doing...something with him at this absurdly early hour of the morning?"

"I sent Jace on a coffee run," Alec responded. "You're welcome."

Jace had been staying in Magnus and Alec's guest bedroom for a few days. Maryse and Robert had wanted Jace and Isabelle out of the Institute while they prepared for an upcoming Shadowhunting convention (Magnus had previously had no idea that those existed). Originally, Jace was supposed to stay with Clary, and Isabelle was supposed to stay with Alec and Magnus, but Jocelyn decided at the last minute she still wasn't comfortable with Jace and Clary staying under the same roof, so Jace and Isabelle had swapped, much to Jace's dismay.

"I'm going to take a shower," Alec said, walking towards the bathroom.

"I'll join you," Magnus spoke, finally getting out of bed.

Alec gave him a look. "Magnus, I have to meet up with my parents to talk about the convention in forty minutes. I kind of have to hurry."

Magnus raised his hands in defense. "With my makeup and hair, I'm short on time as well. No funny business, I swear. Fair?"

Alec shrugged and went to turn on the shower.

Alec was rather fond of their bathroom. It wasn't particularly big, but it was practical. There wasn't a bathtub (which Alec assumed was due to Magnus's dislike of being submerged in water), but the shower was huge. Translucent from the waist-down, the glass shower took up nearly a third of the bathroom. The sink (annoyingly cluttered with Magnus's products) and toilet were across from the shower.

Alec slid open the shower door and stepped into the spray, allowing the warm water to loosen his tense muscles. He closed his eyes and hummed in contentment, feeling Magnus's presence beside him.

Alec grabbed his generic shampoo from the shower caddy and squirted some in his hands, quickly rubbing it into his hair.

"I still can't believe you use that cheap shit from Walmart," Magnus said to him with a sigh. "It's going to ruin your hair."

Alec shrugged. "Your stuff makes my hair feel weird."

Magnus let out a short laugh, pulling Alec against him. "It makes your hair feel _healthy_."

Alec couldn't help but grin at his boyfriend's teasing. The taller man leaned down a tad to meet Alec's lips.

As luck would have it, it was then that the door to the bathroom opened revealing Jace. He quickly turned away, shouting, "Ah, my eyes!" and then slammed the door shut.

Alec groaned and leaned his head on Magnus's shoulder. "We weren't even doing anything!" he shouted to his parabatai.

Magnus giggled. Alec looked up at him pitifully.

"You know every time he tells that story it will become more and more exaggerated, right?"

"Yes, I know. I don't want to talk about it."

 _ **Maryse: April 12, 2009**_

It was a rainy Sunday morning in Brooklyn and Magnus and Alec were on their couch, watching Project Runway. More accurately, Magnus was watching Project Runway and Alec was lying with his feet on his boyfriend's lap, captivated by Chairman Meow.

"You know, sometimes I think you love my cat more than me," Magnus said in an accusatory tone during a commercial break.

"Your cat doesn't ever piss me off," Alec mused, stroking said creature's back. "And he likes me because _I_ never forget to feed him."

"Well, that's just unfair. I am so much better to you than the Chairman," Magnus began. "And you are so full of shit. The cat pisses you off all the time."

Alec grinned slyly. "You piss me off more."

Magnus winked. "But I know how to make it up to you."

After over a year and a half of dating, Alec had managed to kick his habit of blushing at Magnus's suggestive comments (when they were alone at least. In public was an entirely different story) and he had even started playing along.

"And how would you do that?" Alec asked, feigning innocence.

Magnus smiled. "My dear Alexander, I think you know."

Alec bit his lip. "I'm pissed at you now."

"Are you? Well I guess I'll have to fix that."

Magnus crawled on top of his boyfriend and began sucking and biting at his neck, Project Runway momentarily forgotten.

Magnus bit down on Alec's collarbone, making the man shudder. Alec, tiring of the attack on his neck, placed his hands on the sides of the warlock's head, pulling him up so their lips met. Magnus nipped at Alec's bottom lip, causing Alec to gasp. Magnus used this to his advantage and allowed his tongue to explore the Shadowhunter's mouth, every part of it so familiar to him.

The universe apparently had decided that this would be a great time for someone to ring their doorbell, causing Magnus to groan in frustration and look towards the door.

Alec used this brief separation to tug his sweater off. "Ignore it," he said, reconnecting his lips with his boyfriend's. Magnus needed no more convincing, allowing his hands to run all over Alec's defined chest and stomach, ignoring the bell as it rang once again.

Alec quickly untied Magnus's silk robe and Magnus shrugged it off his shoulder, leaving him only in bright red underwear.

"Are those new?" Alec asked, sucking on the man's nipple.

"I bought it on Friday," Magnus replied with a small moan.

Alec brought his hips up to grind against the warlock. Magnus hummed in pleasure, unlatching the younger man's belt buckle and going to pop open the button on Alec's jeans.

They heard a lock turn and a door open and they both sprung up, Alec rolling over to grab a dagger from under the couch and Magnus ignited a fire in between his fingers.

"By the Angel," the dark-haired woman spoke. "I figured you were still sleeping. I-I didn't expect _this_."

Alec quickly buttoned up his pants and averted his eyes uncomfortably, tossing his dagger on the coffee table. Magnus cringed on behalf of his boyfriend and magicked on a pair of jeans.

"Maryse, it's always a pleasure," Magnus said to give Alec a moment to calm the reddening of his cheeks. "May I ask how you got into our home?"

Maryse held out her hand, their spare key in her palm. "I found it in your plant. For the record, that's a terrible place to hide a key. It's one of the first places people look, second only to under the doormat."

"Thank you for enlightening me," Magnus said. "I'll be sure to take that into account when I find a new place to store it."

Maryse turned to her son. "Alexander, I came here to tell you that you're needed at the Institute this afternoon. Jace told me you lost your phone in a battle last night."

Alec nodded, still refusing to look at his mother. "I'll be there. Thank you for telling me."

"I'll see you then." The woman didn't waste another second before leaving the apartment, proving that she was not as unfazed as she tried to appear.

Alec sat down on the sofa, putting his face in his hands. "Can we please just pick up where we left off so I can forget this ever happened?"

"Sure," Magnus spoke slowly, then gestured to the dagger that had been discarded on the table. "Just as soon as you tell me how many weapons you have hidden throughout our home."

 _ **Isabelle: November 17, 2009**_

Magnus and Alec collapsed side-by-side on the bed, both coming down from their highs.

Magnus laughed breathily. "I don't know what it is about being in your childhood bedroom that makes me so horny, but evidently it does."

The pair was staying in the Institute while their loft was being fumigated. The first two nights had been rather eventful...not that either of them were complaining. They hadn't gone at it this long this often since their trip around the world a few months into their relationship.

"It's probably some weird fetish of yours," Alec teased playfully, snuggling into the warlock's side..

"Don't even joke," Magnus groaned as he wrapped an arm around the younger man and pulled him closer. "As much as you and Wonder Boy like to comment on it, I'm not some type of pervert."

Alec kissed his boyfriend's shoulder. "I know. But you get so worked up whenever I mention it! How can I help myself?"

"I don't get pleasure from making you uncomfortable!" Magnus said indignantly.

Alec gave him a look. "You make sex jokes in front of my parents."

Magnus grinned. "Point taken. You're just too cute when you blush."

Alec rolled his eyes. "You make me sound like a bunny or something."

Magnus kissed the top of his boyfriend's head. "You're _my_ bunny."

"If you ever call me bunny again I'm leaving you."

Magnus laughed. "Well, we can't have that. I love you too much."

Alec smiled. "I love you too."

Magnus bit his lip and twirled his fingers in Alec's hair. "You ready for round two?"

Alec laughed and swung his leg up and around so he was straddling Magnus's hips. He leaned down to meet the warlock's lips.

"Hey, Alec, do you know where Jace put Clary's-oh, shit!" Isabelle's voice sounded throughout the room.

Alec rolled off his boyfriend and buried his face in a pillow, thanking the Angel that they were covered by blankets from the waist-down.

"You guys-I was looking for-Oh my God!" Isabelle's laughter was loud, and Alec groaned into the pillow.

"Isabelle, dear," Magnus began, "as comical as you find this situation to be, I fear that if you don't leave, your brother might throw himself onto something sharp."

Isabelle left the room, doubled over with laughter that echoed behind her in the corridor.

"That's everyone," Magnus said once she was gone.

"What?" Alec propped himself up on his forearms so he could face Magnus.

"Every member of your family has walked in on us," he replied.

"By the Angel," Alec murmured. "I hadn't even thought about that. That's terrible."

"I can't say I've had this problem with anyone else I've been with," Magnus said. Then, with a laugh, "Your family really needs to learn how to knock."

 _ **I hope you all got a good laugh out of that! It was fun to write. Please, let me know if you have any requests! :)**_


	4. Voicemail

**_Sorry this one took so long. I had a lot of trouble with it, but I think I like how it turned out. My editor said it made her cry so I guess that's a good sign..._**

 ** _This is my take on all the voicemails Magnus and Alec left each other after they got back together in COHF._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot._**

 _ **April 28, 2008: 2:37 AM**_

"Hey, Magnus... you're probably already asleep, but I don't think I'm going to make it home tonight. Jace has had a bit too much to drink, so I think I need to... take care of him- _I'm fiiiiiine. I don't need a bay- a babi- a babyswitter_ -Dammit, Jace, just walk in a semi-straight line-Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

 _ **July 20, 2008: 2:45 PM**_

"Alexander, will you ask Isabelle what she wants for her birthday? Wait, no-let me clarify: subtly turn the conversation in the direction of things she wants. You can do that, right?... No, you can't. You are entirely unable to be subtle. You know what, just take your sister down a street with a few shops and take pictures of things she points out. I love you! Tell Izzy I said hi!"

 _ **November 7, 2008: 7:28 PM**_

"Magnus, where the hell are you?! We've been waiting on you for nearly an hour! I get that you're busy, but this is kind of ridiculous. We're all so hungry and Jace is about to start-never mind. You just walked in. Bye."

 _ **March 12, 2009: 4:12 PM**_

"Hello, darling... I hope you're not having a completely terrible time shopping with your sister. I just thought I'd give you a heads up that there's been... an incident. You see, this client was irritating me so I turned him into a mouse... but then he scurried under the couch and now I can't find him. So basically I need to know when you'll be home to help me search for this mouse so when he turns back he doesn't...do anything. I love you. Please, come home soon, I need your help."

 _ **March 12, 2009: 4:46 PM**_

"Okay, so I think I have him trapped in the bedroom, I just don't know where. If he's hiding in one of my $500 shoes, there will be a major problem. I could really use you to help me corner him, so if you're not back in half an hour, I won't speak to you for the rest of the week... Okay, yes, I will, I know it's not your fault that Isabelle won't let you leave. Seriously, though, come home. I love you."

 _ **August 26, 2009: 10:16 AM**_

"By the Angel, Magnus, I just realized something amazing. Two years ago today was our first date. And I remembered. And you forgot. This is the first time this has happened. You're always the one who remembers things. I'm really excited about this. Anyway, I'm on my way home, because we really should be spending today together. It's technically our two year anniversary. See you soon. I love you."

 _ **December 17, 2009: 2:43 PM**_

"Darling, did you invite your siblings plus Clary and Sherwin to come over on Christmas Eve? Or did they just invite themselves over? It wouldn't be the first time they've done that. Not that I particularly mind either way, I just want to know what exactly we're going to be doing. We only have to get each of them one present between the two of us, right? We just need a couple's gift? Let me know when you get home. Don't come home covered in bruises your idiotic parabatai has given you. I love you!"

 _ **December 31, 2009: 11:43 PM**_

"If you're not home in the next fifteen minutes so we can kiss at midnight and celebrate the New Year, I promise you will regret it. It's the end of this decade! Ten years is a major milestone for those of you who don't live forever, _especially_ Shadowhunters. Who knows how many more decades we'll have together? I want to celebrate all of them with you. Come home, darling."

 _ **April 4, 2010: 8:15 AM**_

"Magnus, you can't just leave a stranger in our apartment while I'm sleeping naked in our bed! I just walked out of the bedroom in nothing but boxers to figure out why in Raziel's name you were awake and who do I find? A random faerie girl. Where are you? You didn't even tell me you had to get up early this morning! Please, explain to me what's going on. She said you went out to get supplies. Call me back as soon as possible."

 _ **July 12, 2010: 5:21 PM**_

"Hey, love, what time are you getting back? I was thinking about having a little date night. We haven't had one in a while and I was thinking maybe we could go to that new restaurant Omnitaro. Catarina went with her new boyfriend last week and she said it was great. Or if you don't feel like dressing up we could just go to that Vietnamese place a few blocks east of here. Let me know what you want to do. I love you."

 _ **October 6, 2010: 9:08 AM**_

"Hey, babe, I know you're still sleeping, but I was just calling to say goodbye. I'm not sure how long these meetings will drag on for, so I guess I'll see you when I'll see you. If you need anything, you know you can just fire message me. Don't forget to meet your client on Wednesday or to feed Chairman Meow. I love you. Hopefully, I'll see you soon."

 _ **February 19, 2011: 10:54 PM**_

"Hey, Alec, you should probably just stay at the Institute tonight. There's been an... incident here. It's not that big of a deal, I just don't think you'll want to deal with it after a night of patrolling. Don't worry about it; everything will be fine next time you see me... just stay at the Institute. I love you. When you come home in the morning, I'll probably be passed out until well into the afternoon. It's just that... nevermind. Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Good night."

 _ **February 19, 2011: 11:26 PM**_

"Alec! I put out the fire _and_ stopped the potion that was melting a hole in the wall. You can come home if you want. I love you."

 _ **May 7, 2011: 5:12 PM**_

"Hey, Magnus. Look, last night's hunt took a lot out of me. I know we were planning to go out tonight but I'm just... really tired. And sore. And I just really don't feel up to going to some fancy restaurant for dinner. Can we just have a night in? I'll even let you watch _Project Runway_ without complaining. Mmmmm, I think I'm thinking Chinese takeout. I love you and I'll see you soon. Bye."

 _ **September 28, 2011: 3:38 PM**_

"So I have a few questions about Wonder Boy's wedding. One- where am I supposed to pick up your tux? Two- what's the color scheme because I don't want to clash. Three- do they need any help with anything? Jace and Clary are both so young and clearly have no idea what they're doing and I've been to enough weddings that I know what works and what doesn't. Let me know if there's anything I can do. I love you. Tell Jace I say 'Congrats'."

 _ **January 8, 2012: 7:12 PM**_

"Magnus, you need to get home as soon as possible. A group of ten or so vampires are in our apartment saying they need to see you immediately. They don't seem particularly... friendly, so I'm going to text Jace and tell him to come over in case things get out of hand. Just... hurry back. I love you."

 _ **May 30, 2012: 1:38 PM**_

"Listen, Alexander, I know that fucking Wonder Boy thinks he's funny. He thinks he's fucking hilarious. But he's gone too far this time. Tell him that if he does not replace my hair products-which he absolutely _destroyed_ -by this time tomorrow, he will seriously regret it. You know I love you, and I know you don't want what I have planned for your _parabatai_ to happen, but that does not mean I will hold back. Trust me, love, you really ought to see to it that my products are replaced in a timely manner. I love you and I'll see you tonight."

 _ **August 9, 2012: 3:56 PM**_

"Hi, Magnus. I'm actually home right now. Isabelle sent me back early because I'm apparently 'contagious as fuck.' So I guess I'm sick. It's nothing I can't handle, but I figured I'd just let you know, so you don't bring any clients in to see me wrapped in a blanket eating soup on your couch. I love you. See you when you get back."

 _ **February 12, 2013: 11:14 AM**_

"Hello, darling. I just found out that a friend of mine needs help in Barcelona in two days so I'll have to head over there. I was thinking we'd just celebrate Valentine's Day tonight. Does Italian or Thai food sound better? We can do whatever you want because I'm rescheduling things so last minute. I love you so much. Happy early Valentine's Day."

 _ **June 18, 2013: 12:02 PM**_

"Hey, babe. I'm not going to make lunch today. Jace and Clary had a _massive_ fight about kids and Jace is planning on getting wasted before two o'clock and I kind of feel like I need to follow him around to make sure he doesn't get himself into any trouble. If he's still a mess by eight tonight, I'm going to take him back to the loft and have him sleep in the guest room. Sorry for the inconvenience. I love you."

 _ **November 6, 2013: 4:35 PM**_

"Hi, Alec. I was just thinking about how I need to head to Jamaica for work this weekend and how little I want to go. Is there any way you could come with me? It's only three days and it will just be so much better with you there. I'll be out during the day but we could have romantic dinners and a pool on the balcony of our hotel room and it'll all be very elegant. Let me know if you can come. I love you."

 _ **July 21, 2014: 11:31 AM**_

"Hey, I'm about to leave for Chicago with Isabelle. I don't know why but it's eating me up that you were still sleeping when I left and I didn't get to tell you goodbye... so I guess I'll see you in two weeks. I hope you don't have any issues with clients. Try not to do anything too interesting without me, okay? Be sure to call when you finish your meeting today. I love you a lot. Have a great day."

 _ **September 3, 2014: 11:06 PM**_

"Darling, where are you? You were supposed to be back from hunting half an hour ago. You always text me when you're running late. I love you. Call me back."

 _ **September 3, 2014: 11:43 PM**_

"Alexander, you have me really worried now. Where are you and when are you coming home? Is someone hurt? Do you need me to come heal? I love you. _Please call me back_."

 _ **September 4, 2014: 12:29 AM**_

"That's it, I'm going to the Institute. Alec, you're scaring me. I love you so much. I don't-Oh, God, your sister is calling me. Please, no. _Alec, please_."

 _ **September 8, 2014: 10:12 PM**_

"Hey, Alexander. Yesterday was your twenty-fifth birthday. _Twenty-five_. Shadowhunting is cruel and unfair. Today was your funeral. I cried. Everyone cried. I wonder if you truly understood how important you were to all of us. I guess I really should disconnect your phone number, but I just-I can't. This week has been... hard. The hardest week I've ever been through, actually. _Twenty-five_. I always imagined I'd have you for so much longer-no. I can't start crying again. I've cried far too much over the course of the last few days. I've drank too much as well, for that matter. You don't have to worry though. Catarina came to stay with me as soon as she found out. She's making sure I eat and sleep and all of that. She's also taken care of all of my clients. Jace and Izzy have stopped by everyday as well. I guess they feel as if they owe it to you to make sure I'm never alone-which I haven't been until now, by the way. I miss you more than you could ever comprehend. It's like-I'd been waiting for you all my life. And I finally had you. I'm sure seven years seems like like a long time for you mortals, but it's hardly a fraction of my life. I lost you-Hell, the world lost you-long before it was your time. The world is a much bleaker place without you and your fucking hole-y sweaters-which I loved by the way. I was always too proud to tell you that- _*exhausted sigh*_ -I miss you so much. I hope you knew that you were the best thing that ever happened to me and you added a purpose to my empty life. You made me a better person. I'd destroy the world to get you back. But I know I can't. I suppose this is my goodbye to you. I like to think that I'll see you again when someone finally decides to take me off this earth. Maybe that's just wishful thinking, but I'm going to hold on to it with everything I've got. I love you more than anything or anyone I've ever loved. Goodbye, at least for now, my darling Alexander."

 ** _Please review! I'm running low on ideas so if anyone has any, let me know!_**


	5. Nicknames

_**This one caused me a lot of trouble and is rather short, but I think it cleaned up fairly well (largely due to the hard-work of my amazingly dedicated editor). I hope you all like it.**_

 _ **Suggested by Bloodyravenheart13.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**_

"Welcome home... sunshine," Magnus spoke enthusiastically, and Alec responded with a repulsed face.

"No," he said sternly.

"Oh, come on, love," Magnus pleaded. "I need to find a suitable nickname for you. You've rejected every single one of my ideas!"

Alec raised an eyebrow. "I let you call me 'darling.' That's a nickname."

"That doesn't count. I call everyone 'darling.'"

The Shadowhunter rolled his eyes. "Then stop calling everyone 'darling.' I've accepted that nickname. I'm not going to accept another."

"I can't change a fundamental part of myself just because you refuse to be reasonable!" Magnus exclaimed, gesturing with his hands for emphasis.

Alec sighed. He wasn't in the mood for such a petty argument. "Magnus, I've been training all day. I just want to order takeout and lie on the couch. Can't we drop it?"

Magnus pursed his lips. "I'll call the Mexican place."

Alec grinned, thinking he'd won. He didn't yet realize how wrong he was.

"Hey, cupcake, what time did Isabelle say she wanted us there tonight?" Magnus said from where he was leaning on the counter. He took a sip of water.

"Seven," Alec responded, not taking his eyes from the dishes he was washing. "And I thought we talked about the nicknames."

"Cupcake isn't doing it for you, either?"

"Not at all," Alec said. "You should really just give up."

Magnus laughed. "Oh, Alexander, you should know by now that I'm not a quitter."

"Cat, it's so good to see you," Magnus said, gesturing for the woman to come into the apartment.

"You too, Magnus," she replied, smiling at him. Then, noticing the Shadowhunter reading in a lavish armchair, she added, "Hello, Alec."

"Hey, Catarina. How are you?"

"I'm doing well. Thank you for asking."

"How's the Shadowhunter Academy suiting you? I never understood why Ragnor went back every year. He was constantly bitching about it."

Catarina grinned. "Ragnor complained about everything. I would've been concerned if he hadn't." She paused for a moment, bittersweetly remembering her old friend. "And to answer your question, it's all right. I can't say I agree with all the teachings and policies, but you know how Shadowhunters can be." Then, remembering a Shadowhunter was in the room, "I'm sorry, Alec. I wasn't thinking-"

Alec bit the inside of his cheek. "It's all right. I understand more than most that Shadowhunters aren't always what we're cracked up to be."

Magnus moved to stand behind Alec's chair and put his hand on the boy's shoulder comfortingly. Catarina couldn't help but grin at the pair of them.

"As much as I'd like to stay and chat, I need to get back to Alicante soon. Magnus, where's the potions book I asked you about?"

"It's in my office. The ingredients are in the box under the bed. Muffin, would you go grab that for me?"

" _Magnus_ , Alec said as he stood, " _the nicknames are not happening_."

"We'll see," Magnus murmured, exiting the room.

" _Magnus_."

It was a hot day in New York City, and Magnus and Alec were sweating in their Brooklyn loft.

"You're a warlock," Alec complained, as he lounged on the couch, "why can't you just fix the AC?"

"Because I can't, Alexander," Magnus snapped at the boy from his current perch next to the open window. "Do you know how much energy I used yesterday and this morning with my clients? I need a break!"

"You're right, I'm sorry," Alec said. "It's just... _so hot_."

"It would be a little less hot if you took that sweater off," Magnus suggested.

"It's three in the afternoon," Alec argued. "I feel like I'm wasting my day if I'm not dressed from eleven in the morning to seven at night."

Magnus raised an eyebrow, gesturing to his current attire-black and yellow boxer-briefs. "You can increase your suffering if you really want to _or_ you can do both of us a favor and just take off your shirt."

Alec gave in, pulling off his dark sweater and fanning himself with it.

"Isn't that better?" Magnus asked as he plopped himself down next to Alec, fanning himself with his hand.

"Yes," Alec muttered, lying back and resting his feet on the warlock's lap. "You were right."

"Of course I was, cookie."

"Really?" Alec questioned. "That's the worst one yet."

Magnus grinned, his catlike eyes sparkling. "I thought I'd give it a shot. No?"

"No," Alec affirmed.

"I'll find something else."

"You know, despite the terrible pollution, this is actually such a beautiful view," Alec mused from where they sat on a bench facing the East River in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

"Yeah," Magnus agreed, not taking his eyes away from his boyfriend. "It really is."

Alec gave Magnus a look. "You did _not_ just use that line on me."

Magnus laughed, wrapping his arm around the other's shoulders. "I'm surprised you even recognise it. You're so out-of-touch with pop culture."

Alec rolled his eyes. "I do read, you know?"

"Not as much as I do, pudding cup," Magnus said.

Alec laughed. "What is that, the third food you've tried to make into a nickname."

"I actually think it's the fourth," Magnus corrected. "But you're not giving me much of a choice! I've had to go outside the realm of typical nicknames."

"Magnus, I just really don't like nicknames! They're embarrassing."

"They are not," Magnus replied indignantly. "They're cute!"

"They make me uncomfortable.".

"It's a way of showing affection," Magnus countered. When Alec remained silent, Magnus let out a sad sigh. "Is there any chance that you don't like nicknames because a part of you is still ashamed that you're a gay Shadowhunter?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Alec scowled.

"Nicknames are such a public way of affection. You don't call your friend 'sweet pea.' It's something you call your significant other. Now, is it possible that the Clave's general bigotry when it comes to homosexuality influenced your opinion on the nicknames I give you?"

Alec frowned. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Alexander, you know I won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable," Magnus spoke, pulling him closer to his side. "But I'd really like you to learn to stop caring what the Clave thinks about our relationship."

Alec sighed. "I don't consciously care anymore. I just-I don't know. I'm a Shadowhunter. I've been a Shadowhunter all my life. I don't know how to not care about anything the Clave thinks."

"I know, darling," Magnus said. "And I'm glad that you don't actively care anymore, but if you ever feel like shit because of the Clave or other Shadowhunters just keep in mind that what we have is stronger and more important than that. What we have is powerful. It's special and it's amazing."

Alec locked eyes with his boyfriend. The corners of his mouth tilted upward. "That was so sappy."

Magnus laughed. "It's also true." He leaned forward and pressed their lips together. It wasn't a particularly heated or passionate kiss, but that wasn't important. All that mattered was that they loved and cared for each other deeply and were lucky enough to have the type of relationship that endured.

"I love you," Alec murmured as they sat there.

Magnus smiled. "As I love you."

 _ **I hope you liked it! I'm ALWAYS a slut for reviews!**_


	6. Bleeding Out

_**I am SO sorry. I know it's been ages since I updated. This is just a little songfic fto get me out of my funk. It's very sad and entirely unedited so be prepared.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns all characters and Imagine Dragons owns the lyrics.**_

 _I'm bleeding out_

 _So if the last thing that I do_

 _Is to bring you down_

 _I'll bleed out for you_

 _So I bare my skin_

 _And I count my sins_

 _And I close my eyes_

 _And I take it in_

 _And I'm bleeding out_

 _I'm bleeding out for you (for you)_

Alec had never been one for the thrill of the fight. He saw a battle for what it truly was: a necessary evil. He was a Shadowhunter. It was his duty to protect the world from demons, and he was more than willing to do that.

However, it was fights like these that made him question if it was worth it. There was blood nearly everywhere he stepped, none of which was from the group of demons they were fighting. Hundreds of them had been gathering in an abandoned warehouse in the Bronx, so all of the Shadowhunters in New York (as well as quite a few downworlders who were in the area) had been dispatched to get rid of them.

He was fighting side-by-side with Jace, which provided some sense of comfort. They were defending themselves from three spider demons (Alec's least favorite kind), but they seemed to be holding up fairly well. Jace jumped up to avoid a jab at his legs, allowing Alec to slash at the demon which promptly turned to dust. The battle went on like so until it was obvious that they were close winning.

To his right, Alec saw a certain warlock help Jocelyn Fray kill an Eidolon demon. As if sensing eyes on him, Magnus turned to face Alec.

"Why, hello there. You seem to be faring rather well," he said with a smile, noticing Alec's lack of major injury. "What a pleasant surprise."

Alec grinned, walking toward the other man. "I don't understand how your hair can still be perfectly spiked after all this."

Magnus let out a short laugh before he abruptly stopped, eyes widening. Instinctively, Alec spun around to find himself staring at one of the largest and most grotesque demons he'd ever seen. He notched an arrow in his quiver and let it fly at his target, but this seemed to do little more than antagonize the demon. As it advanced toward him, he pulled out a seraph blade, murmuring, "Ambriel."

He felt rather than saw his boyfriend's presence beside him, magic radiating from the man.

 _He must be tired after all this_ , he thought worryingly, but was quickly distracted from this as the demon swiped at him.

Alec leapt back, holding the blade away from his body. A ball of blue fire was hurled at the demon, causing it to roar in pain. This distraction allowed Alec to dig his blade into the demon's stomach. The creature cried out, turning his attention to Alec. As he saw the creature's arm, oozing with poison, swinging at him, he was certain of his fate-he would die nobly in the chaos of battle. He was wildly unprepared for the disorientation he felt when he found himself standing a few feet away, a dark figure where we had just been, receiving the impact of the blow. The warlock flew back, hitting the ground hard. He saw the demon dissolve into dust, revealing Jace holding his sword outstretched.

 _When the day has come_

 _That I've lost my way around_

 _And the seasons stop and hide beneath the ground_

To Alec, it felt like everything around him moved in slow motion. Looking back on it later, he didn't remember himself moving, but he must have because he found himself kneeling next to the fallen man, shaking.

"Magnus," he murmured, clutching the warlock's hand. "Magnus. Magnus, _no_."

"It's amazing what a simple teleportation spell can do, isn't it?"

"Magnus, don't do this to me."

"Alexander," Magnus said weakly. "Alec, love, this is it."

 _When the sky turns gray_

 _And everything is screaming_

 _I will reach inside_

 _Just to find my heart is beating_

"No, no, no, it isn't." Alec was shaking violently. "You can heal yourself. Here, take my energy, just heal yourself."

"Darling, it's not that simple," Magnus spoke quietly. "It's alright-"

"No, there has to be something! There has to be-" His screams turned into sobs as he bent over to place his forehead on the warlock's chest. Weakly, he began, "You can't just-"

Magnus let out a tear as well, both from the pain and from the knowledge of what this would do to his love.

 _Oh, you tell me to hold on_

 _Oh, you tell me to hold on_

 _But innocence is gone_

 _And what was right is wrong_

"I'm an old man, Alexander," Magnus told him. "I've been around for a long time. I want to make sure that you know-"

"No, Magnus, stop talking like that," Alec pleaded. "We'll get you to Catarina, she can help. Just hold on-"

"No, Alec, listen to me," Magnus insisted. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. I know I'm not perfect, I know I've done things wrong, and I am so sorry for any pain that I've caused you. I hope I've made up for it."

"You've done far more than that, Magnus. I'm begging you, please don't leave me," Alec cried.

"I love you so much, darling," Magnus whispered. "From the beginning, I always did. Never forget that, okay?"

"Please, stop," Alec choked out.

"You are my everything."

 _When the hour is nigh_

 _And hopelessness is sinking in_

 _And the wolves all cry_

 _To fill the night with hollering_

"I was the one who was supposed to die first," Alec sobbed. "How-how am I supposed to live without you-I don't know what to do."

"You're a Shadowhunter. You're strong; you'll endure."

"No, no, no, this can't be happening."

"Alec." Jace gently placed his hand on his _parabatai_ 's shoulder only to have it violently pushed away.

" _Don't touch me_ ," Alec screamed.

"Alexander," Magnus whispered, as Jace stepped back.

"No, no, no, please, no. Please don't do this to me, Magnus."

 _When your eyes are red_

 _And emptiness is all you know_

 _With the darkness fed_

 _I will be your scarecrow_

"Please, stop crying, love," Magnus begged, tears streaming down his face. "I promise everything will be alright."

"How?" Alec questioned. "How can anything be alright?"

"It will be hard, but it will be alright," Magnus insisted. "Please, darling, I promise you'll be alright."

" _You being there is what keeps me alright_."

"Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I won't be there. When people die, they never really leave you."

 _You tell me to hold on_

 _Oh you tell me to hold on_

 _But innocence is gone_

 _And what was right is wrong_

"Please, Magnus, stay with me," Alec begged.

"I can't," Magnus said. "I love you more than you could ever believe, Alec. Please don't let the last thing I feel before I go be your pain."

Alec stifled a sob. "I love you, Magnus. I love you so much." He leaned down to place a final kiss to the warlock's lips, saying all the things that they never had time to say, mourning all the moments they wouldn't get to experience together, and cherishing all the memories they had made. Magnus closed his eyes and allowed himself to fade into oblivion.

 _'Cause I'm bleeding out_

 _So if the last thing that I do_

 _Is to bring you down_

 _I'll bleed out for you_

 _So I bare my skin_

 _And I count my sins_

 _And I close my eyes_

 _And I take it in_

 _And I'm bleeding out_

 _I'm bleeding out for you, for you._


	7. Babysit

___Time for another chapter! :) As you can probably guess, updates will be very sporadic because of school, but I write when I can. This one is longer than most, so I hope you like it. Request from fanfiction guest reviewer: Girl123. I'm still taking requests!_

"Jace and Isabelle, it's nearly midnight, we have to go," Alec snapped at his siblings, who were leisurely applying runes.

"We were really supposed to leave fifteen minutes ago," Simon added from where he was standing by the door to the Institute.

"Don't blame us," Jace retorted. "We were making sure Maryse had everything under control with the kids."

"That's bullshit, Jace. Maryse has watched them hundreds of times. Of course, she has things under control," Clary said to her husband.

"It doesn't matter," interjected Isabelle. "We're ready now. Let's go."

The five hurried out of the Institute and made their way to the subway.

"Jace, did you get the tickets for the play next week?" Simon asked, leaning against the subway pole.

"You're seeing a play?" Alec questioned, an incredulous look on his face. "When have you ever seen a play?"

"Clary wants to see it," Isabelle replied. "Besides, we've all been craving a night out, and next Friday seemed like the time to do it."

"Mom's in Idris next Friday," Alec pointed out. "You don't have a babysitter."

"We were hoping you would do it," Jace said.

"We can't. Magnus has to portal to Iceland at seven on Saturday morning. The kids would keep us up well past midnight."

"Come on, Alec, please," Isabelle said.

"No, Iz, this has been set up for months."

"We haven't had a night to ourselves in weeks," Simon pleaded.

"And I have?" Alec snapped.

"We used to babysit Max whenever you and Magnus wanted to have sex," Jace remarked with a smirk.

" _Jace_ ," Alec exclaimed indignantly. "Anyway, it's different. Max is one kid. Combined, you all have four."

"They'll be on their best behavior, we promise," Clary said. Jace, Simon, and Izzy all joined in with a plea.

"Please, Alec."

"It would be a big help."

"We would do it for you!"

"By the Angel, fine!" Alec gave in. "But you all owe me."

 _ **5:30 PM. Friday**_

"Max, are you excited to have a sleepover with your cousins?" Magnus asked the nine-year-old lounging on the couch.

"They're all babies, except for Jonah," Max complained.

"Well, you can play with Jonah then," Alec said. "You haven't seen him in over a week."

"Alexander, is the guest room ready?" Magnus questioned.

"Yeah, Charlotte and the twins can share it. We'll blow up a mattress on Max's floor for Jonah."

"Everyone will be in bed by ten?"

"I hope so," Alec said. "We'll see about Charlotte. You know how she can be."

"She _is_ just like her father," Magnus noted. "Gives Jace a taste of his own medicine."

"I can't disagree with that." There was a silence. "They'll be good, don't you think?"

Magnus chuckled. "We're taking care of five children under the age of ten. I wouldn't place any bets on that."

 _ **6:05 PM, Friday**_

"Thanks again for doing this," Simon said, handing his three-year-old to Magnus. "I know you have to be up early."

Magnus sighed tiredly. "You're welcome." He looked at the toddler in his arms. "Besides, it's not like I could say no to this face. Isn't that right, Penny?"

The dark-haired girl giggled. Magnus grinned.

"The girls look more and more like Izzy every day, don't they?" Simon said in adoration of his wife and daughters.

"I suppose so. But Penelope has your eyes and Jemima has your hair. Both girls have your nose."

"Yeah, they do," Simon said.

"Uncle Magnus," Jonah exclaimed excitedly, wrapping his arms around the warlock's waste.

"Hello, Jonah, how are you?" Magnus asked, looking down at the red-haired seven-year-old.

"Great! Where's Max?"

"Um, I'm not actually certain-"

"He's in his room," Alec butted in, bouncing Jemima in his arms.

"Thanks, Uncle Alec." The boy ran off giddily.

"Jonah! Come give your parents a kiss goodbye," Clary yelled after him.

He dramatically trudged back to his parents, who each kissed his cheek. "Can I go play now?"

Jace laughed. "So eager to get rid of us, I see. Go have fun with your cousins. We love you."

"Love you too!" Jonah smiled and and headed off.

Clary sighed and turned to Magnus and Alec. "Again, thanks so much for doing this. We'll see you guys tomorrow morning. Charlotte, come say goodbye."

The four-year-old hurried over and wrapped her arms around both of her parents happily. "Bye, Mommy and Daddy! I love you!"

"We love you two," Clary said, grinning. "Be good for your uncles. Do what they say."

"I will," the girl giggled mischievously and hobbled away.

Simon let out a short laugh. "Good luck with her. Have a good night."

 _ **7:10 PM, Friday**_

"Max, Jonah, come set the table! Dinner's almost ready," Alec shouted to the boys from the kitchen.

The two children appeared in the doorway almost instantly. "What do we need to do?" Max asked.

"Everyone needs forks and napkins, and all of you need a glass of milk," Alec instructed.

The boys each moved to do their assigned tasks. Out of the corner of his eye, Alec noticed milk being poured without a hand pouring it. Alec set the jug of milk on the counter.

"Max, don't do that!" Alec scolded.

"I was just practicing," the blue-skinned boy argued.

"We've told you repeatedly not to use magic when Papa isn't watching. Besides, you shouldn't use it for mundane tasks anyway," said Alec.

"Papa does it all the time," Max muttered.

"Papa is the High Warlock of Brooklyn. He gets special privileges," explained Alec.

"I'm sorry," Max murmured, picking up the milk to pour it.

"Thank you," Alec said. "Now go tell your father that dinner is ready."

"What are we having?" Jonah asked.

"Spaghetti and meatballs," Alec replied. "Would you help me carry all the plates in?"

As everyone settled around the dining room table, Jemima said, "Noodles are my favorite food. Thank you, Uncle Alec."

"I'm glad you're happy with it," Alec told her.

"I'm glad your parents all taught you how to use utensils to eat spaghetti early in your life," Magnus chuckled.

It was at that moment a fork was used catapult a clump of noodles across the table onto Jonah's shirt, effectively getting sauce everywhere.

"Charlotte! Don't do that," Alec admonished. "Apologize to your brother!"

The girl giggled, her blonde curls bouncing.

"Charlotte, this is my favorite shirt," Jonah yelled, his voice quivering.

"Don't worry, Jonah, I can get that stain right out, just give me a shirt. Max, would you go grab Jonah something to wear while I clean this?"

Magnus hurried into the kitchen to remove the stain while Max took Jonah to his room to find another shirt.

"Charlotte, that was very mean," Alec continued to reprimand. "Why would you do that?"

Charlotte grinned. "It was funny."

"Well, maybe you think it's funny, but Jonah definitely didn't. You shouldn't make jokes at someone else's expense."

Charlotte pouted. "But it _was_ funny."

" _Charlotte_ ," Alec began, "you need to apologize to Jonah as soon as he comes back."

Charlotte shook her head.

" _Charlotte_ ," he insisted.

The girl crossed her arm and stormed out of the room.

"Charlotte, come back here!" Alec stood up to go after her.

Penelope looked at Jemima, before speaking for the first time during the meal, "Daddy says Charlotte is as stubborn as Aunt Clary."

Alec chuckled and mentally agreed.

 _ **8:12 PM, Friday**_

"Alright, I think it's time for a movie" Alec addressed the five kids. "What's it going to be?"

"What do you have?" Jonah asked.

Magnus tossed him the DVD case. "All these plus anything on Netflix."

Jonah quickly flipped through the DVDs. "I want to watch _the Lion King_!"

"We don't have _the Lion King_ ," Alec said.

"Is it on Netflix?" Max asked.

"I'll check," Magnus said, grabbing the remote. A few moments later, he shook his head. "Nope. It'll have to be something else."

"There's too much to choose from," complained Max. "You choose."

"How about _Home on the Range_?" Alec suggested.

"We watched that a week ago with Grandma," Charlotte said.

"Um, do you guys want to watch _Over the Hedge_?"

"No! I hate that movie!" Penny cried indignantly.

"Okay, okay," Alec said, raising his hands in surrender. "Not _Over the Hedge_."

"What about _Aristocats_?" Magnus asked, holding up the DVD. When there were no objections, he put the disk in the VCR. "Lovely."

Everyone settled into their seats as the movie started. Fifteen minutes in, a small voice said, "I need to go to the potty."

Magnus looked at the girl. "Do you need help or...?"

Penny shook her head. "I'm a big girl." She paused for a moment. "I forgot where it is."

Magnus smiled at her. "Last door down the hallway. Hurry back, so you don't miss much of the movie."

"Hey, Magnus?" Alec whispered as she ran off.

"Yes, darling?" he responded.

"I was just thinking-why do we have so many movies about talking animals?"

Magnus stifled a laugh as not to disturb the others. "I really don't know."

"We must have at least ten," Alec said with a smile.

"It does seem excessive, doesn't it? I guess it comes with having a kid." Magnus grinned.

A crash sounded down the hall. Alec leapt up to go find out what happened to Penelope.

"Max, make sure your cousins don't break anything while I go see what's going on," Magnus instructed. The boy nodded assent.

When Magnus reached the bathroom, he laughed at the scene in front of him.

Alec gave him a playful look. "I keep telling you to put you products in the cabinet instead of cluttering the edge of the sink."

Penelope was sitting on the floor, covered in various hair and skin products that she had accidentally knocked over.

"You should go back and watch the movie," Magnus said. "I'll get all this cleaned up. It seems Penny might need a bit of a rinse."

 _ **9:45 PM, Friday**_

"It's time for bed." Magnus spoke firmly. He was met with several groans and complaints, but he quickly stated, "No arguing. We have an early morning tomorrow, and it's time to sleep."

"Boys, you can use Max's bathroom," Alec said. "Girls, you can use ours. Everyone, put on you pajamas and brush your teeth. First one in bed wins."

Immediately, there was chaos to get everyone settled in, but Magnus and Alec managed to get everyone tucked in by 10:10. They met in the hallway after the mania.

"That was easier than expected," Alec mused.

"I know. I'm pleased," Magnus agreed.

"I'm just going to wash the dishes, then I'll be in bed," Alec told the warlock.

"I actually have a bit of business I need to attend to before tomorrow. It shouldn't take me more than forty minutes. You don't have to wait up."

Alec gave a small smile. "I always wait up for you."

 _ **10:55 PM, Friday**_

"I really do not want to get up at six-thirty tomorrow," Magnus said when he finally entered the bedroom.

"I'll make coffee," Alec assured.

Magnus nodded, stepping out of his pants. "Aside from a few instances involving sauce and expensive hair products, the night went fairly well."

"Even though he complains, I think Max really likes spending time with his cousins."

Magnus nodded in assent, crawling into the bed.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Alec murmured as Magnus leaned in to kiss him. He pulled back slightly as the warlock tried to deepen the kiss.

"Careful," he began, "you know we have to get up early."

"My parents do that a lot," a high voice spoke suddenly, startling both men.

"By the Angel, Charlotte you scared me," Alec exclaimed.

"Sorry," the young blonde spoke. "I had a nightmare. Can I sleep in here?"

"Don't you want to stay with the twins?" Magnus asked. "You'd have an entire bed to yourself. Besides, we don't want to wake you up in the morning."

She stood steadfast in the doorway, shaking her head. "I want to sleep in here."

Alec patted the bed in between himself and Magnus. "Well, if you insist."

Magnus sighed and reached off the bed to grab a pair of sweatpants. He shimmied them on under the covers, muttering, "I haven't had to wear pants to bed since Max stopped getting up in the middle of the night."

"Sweet dreams," Alec said to the others as he turned off the lamp illuminating the room.

 _ **6:30 AM, Saturday**_

Magnus groaned as the alarm blared, quickly shutting it off.

"What is...?" Charlotte murmured, still mostly asleep.

"It's nothing," Alec whispered. "Go back to sleep."

The girl complied as Alec crept out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. He plugged in the coffee machine and started the brew.

A few minutes later, Magnus emerged from the bedroom in one of his few simple ensembles-light-wash blue jeans, a red tank top, and a black cardigan. His hair was tied back in a small bun and his face make-up free.

Magnus frowned. "I'm going to make myself decent when I get to Reykjavik."

Alec grinned, handing him a cup of coffee. "You know I like it when you're dressed casually."

"That's because you have no fashion sense," Magnus teased. "You would have thought that after twelve years I would've rubbed off on you somewhat, but clearly that isn't the case."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"You know you could never disappoint me."

Alec smiled into his mug. "Remind me how long you'll be gone."

"Only a week. Why they decided to host this conference in Iceland rather than a central location, I have no idea."

"I think I'm going to take Max to an amusement park while you're there. He's mastered his glamour, right?"

"Yes, he'll be fine."

"I think I'll bring Catarina just in case. Maia said she wanted to go as well. We'll make a day out of it."

Magnus smiled. "Be sure to send pictures. Max will love it."

Alec nodded. "We'll miss you."

"As I'll miss you. I'm going to wake Max up to say goodbye in a few minutes."

"Try to have some fun in Iceland, okay?" Alec said. "I've heard it's rather stunning.

Magnus laughed. "It is. I've been many times. But it's nothing compared to what I'm leaving."

 _ **10:34 AM, Saturday**_

"Mommy! Daddy!" Penny exclaimed as her parents entered the apartment.

"Hey, baby girl," Isabelle greeted, scooping the child into her arms. "I missed you! Did you have fun with your uncles?"

She nodded happily.

"Did they behave?" Clary asked Alec as Jonah hugged her waist.

"They were just fine," Alec responded. "There were a few minor mishaps, but nothing too extreme."

"I'm so glad," Clary said with a smile. "Again, thank you so much for doing this."

"Don't worry about it. How was your night?"

"It was _amazing_ ," Simon said. "Very mature."

Isabelle laughed. "Oh, yes. _Very mature_."

Alec made a face that caused both Jace and Isabelle to laugh.

"You're too easy, brother," Jace teased. "Your reaction is the only reason we talk about it."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm glad you had fun."

"That we did," Jace agreed. "And since they behaved, I hope you know this means that you'll be seeing a lot more of the kids."

"I wouldn't bet on that."


	8. Five Kids and Counting

**_Wow, I am so incredibly sorry this one took so long. It's SO LONG which is one of the reasons, but I actually finished it a month ago and it took my editor a while to get around to it._**

 ** _I know this doesn't fit with the Lady Midnight plot, but I started it before that was published. I'm almost done with an AU so that should be out sometime in the next few weeks._**

 ** _I hope you enjoy! This is pure fluff!_**

 _Ten years was all it took. Ten years until there was five of them. Magnus hadn't asked for a single one of them, but he'd be damned if he ever said he regretted any of it._

 _The first was Max. Their precious blue-skinned boy. Alec had only been twenty when Max entered their lives, but he had taken the boy in with open arms and stepped up to the challenge. Magnus never fully understood how his boyfriend had done it so intrepidly without stopping to question whether or not he could handle it. Magnus supposed it was because Nephilim tended to have children extremely young and it was in his biology, but Magnus was always impressed nonetheless._

 _Max had just turned two when the second one came into the picture._ _ **(Max was 8 months when they got him).**_

* * *

 _ **October, 2011**_

"Congratulations, Jace," Alec said, patting his _parabatai_ on the shoulder. "I wish you both the happiest of lives, and I'm sure you'll have just that."

"Thank you, Alec." Jace smiled. "That means a lot, coming from my best man. I'm sure Clary will be happy to hear you say that."

"Happy to hear what?" Clary asked, approaching to the pair.

"Alec was just telling me how great he thinks our lives will be now that we're married," Jace explained.

Clary grinned. "That's so weird to hear you say. I can't believe we finally did it."

"Well, I couldn't be happier," Jace spoke, staring into the eyes of his new wife.

"I'll give you two a minute," Alec said, not wanting to intrude on their special moment. He looked around the room, catching sight of Magnus, Isabelle, and Max sitting at their table.

Max was seated on Magnus's lap, bouncing on his knees. Isabelle leaned over in her chair to look the two-year-old in the eyes.

"Now, Max, what I'm about to tell you is very important," she said. "Today, your Uncle Jace got married to Clary. That means Clary is technically your Aunt Clary. I don't care how many cookies she lets you have, how many times she reads to you, or how many pictures she draws for your bedroom. I will _always_ be your favorite aunt. Remember that: Izzy is your favorite." She paused, looking at Max's smiling face. "Okay, now let me hear you say it. Who's your favorite aunt?"

"Izzy," the young warlock giggled.

"That's my nephew," Izzy praised, ruffling his curly hair. She straightened up to meet Alec's eyes. "You've done well with this kid, brother."

"I like to think so," Alec agreed, scooping the toddler from Magnus's lap. "Who's my precious little boy?"

"I am," Max exclaimed in a sweet high-pitched voice, clapping his little hands together.

"Yes, you are," Alec agreed, swinging the toddler onto his shoulders.

"Be careful," Magnus scolded out of habit. "Let's keep him in one piece."

Alec rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You worry too much. I would _never_ drop him."

"Perhaps, but there's no need to be careless," he said, lifting his son off his boyfriend's shoulders and holding the toddler against his chest.

"How's my grandson doing?" Maryse asked as she approached the trio. "This day has been so hectic, I haven't gotten to see him yet."

"He's amazing," Magnus told her. "Though I'm still worried he'll start the terrible twos."

"Max, can you say hi to grandma?" Alec smiled at his son.

"Hi, grandma!" the boy spoke excitedly.

"Oh, you're just like your father was-" Maryse began, but was cut off by the sound of the doorbell.

"Who is-" Isabelle started.

"Everyone we know is here for the wedding," Maryse said indignantly. "How dare they interrupt-"

Alec and Magnus shared a look.

"It might be Lily," Alec suggested. "She can't walk on hallowed ground."

"I'll go check."

"No, I'll get it. It's probably me she's looking for anyway," Alec said. "Besides, if it isn't her, it would be strange for a non-Shadowhunter to answer the door of the Institute."

"Alright," Magnus agreed. "Hurry back."

"I always do," he shot back over his shoulder.

As soon as Alec was out of earshot, Maryse turned sharply to Magnus. "Are you and my son doing okay?"

"Of course," Magnus replied, surprised by her tone. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"I haven't had a proper conversation with Alec in weeks," she said in exasperation. "Plus, you have a kid. Children are without a doubt the best thing that can ever happen to a person, but they can put a strain on relationships."

"Mom!" Isabelle snapped. "Not in front of Max."

"He'll never remember it, Isabelle," she defended. "He doesn't understand most of what I'm saying regardless." Isabelle opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by a sharp glance from her mother. "You'll understand when you have children of your own. Now, Magnus, you're sure you and Alec are okay?"

"Trust me, Maryse. We've never been better," Magnus reassured her. "If anything, Max is just making our relationship better and stronger. We've gone through worse already." He paused. "Alec has just been busy with best man duties recently. I'm sure that's the only reason you two haven't spoke."

Maryse sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Magnus smirked at her. "You're his mother. It's your job to worry."

Max spoke and gestured toward the door suddenly, "Papa! Papa!"

"Where's your father?" Magnus asked his son.

"Papa!" Max exclaimed again.

Magnus glanced around the room and spotted his boyfriend peeking through one of the exits. He tilted his head in a way that conveyed the message _Come here_ , and Magnus obeyed immediately, and was quickly followed by Isabelle and Maryse.

The hallway was empty except for Alec, who was facing away from them, shoulders hunched in an odd way.

"Alexander?" Magnus questioned, bouncing Max slightly in his arms to prevent the boy from getting antsy. "What's happened?"

"It was Lily...in a way," Alec said softly. "Try to keep your voice down."

"What? Why?" Isabelle whispered. "What are you talking about, Alec?"

Alec turned around, startling them all. He stood there in his best man suit, black with tints of gold, looking down at a small bundle in his arms-a small, humanoid bundle that had large butterfly wings sprouting from its back and was living, breathing, and, as it seemed, asleep.

"She came with this note," Alec said, handing a slip of paper to Magnus.

"'I just couldn't. I'm so sorry. Her name is Lilian'," he recited aloud.

Max let out a high-pitched giggle, making Magnus jump.

Isabelle frowned. "I'll watch him until you get this sorted out," she said, taking the toddler from Magnus and disappearing into the ballroom.

"Could I hold her?" Magnus asked, and Alec quickly slipped the baby into his arms.

After quickly examining the girl, Magnus shook his head sadly. "She can't be more than a week old. A warlock, obviously. I assume her mother tried to love her, but just couldn't handle it. She probably got lucky and met someone in the Shadow World who told her that she should leave the baby here."

"She is so beautiful," Alec murmured, gazing at the caramel-skinned witch. "Blissfully unaware that the woman who brought her into this world just left her to face it alone."

"She won't face it alone," Magnus spoke with certainty, meeting Alec's eyes.

Alec's eyebrows shot up. "Do you mean-"

"I do."

"Do we even have room?"

"We'll make room."

"Are you sure we're ready-"

"We've done it before."

"So we're really doing this?"

"We are."

"Well, then." Alec gazed at the girl's sleeping face. "Welcome to the family, Lilian."

* * *

 _ **April, 2014**_

"Be safe! We love you! See you in a few hours," Alec yelled out as he let the door close. He immediately slumped against it with a sigh. "Our first child-less evening in four months."

"We have two magical children under five-years-old," Magnus laughed. "What do you expect?

Alec grinned, walking passed Magnus and into the kitchen. "Red or white?" He shouted, taking two wine glasses from the cupboard.

"Red," Magnus replied. "For once, we don't have to worry about it toppling over and leaving a stain."

Alec rolled his eyes. "You can always just magic it away anyway."

"It's the principle of the thing," Magnus responded indignantly.

"If you say so." Alec settled onto the couch and handed a glass to his boyfriend.

"Dinner reservations are in an hour," Magnus stated, taking a sip of his beverage. "We have forty minutes to kill before we have to head out."

"So we'll finish off our drinks and then... nap or sex?"

Magnus let out a short laugh. "And they say romance is dead."

"Do they?" Alec asked, pressing his lips against Magnus's before the man could respond.

"Mmmm," Magnus murmured, placing his glass on the coffee table. "What happened to finishing the wine?"

"I decided against it," the Shadowhunter replied, pushing Magnus onto his back and straddling his waist.

Magnus grinned against the other's mouth, taking hold of Alec's hair with his fists.

A sudden banging on the door startled them both. "Ignore it," Magnus spoke quickly and pulled Alec's face back down to his.

"It could-it could be Izzy with the kids," he argued breathlessly.

"It's hardly been ten minutes," Magnus retorted, shaking his head. "Besides, your sister wouldn't bother knocking."

Alec nodded in agreement, returning to their previous position.

The knock came twice more.

Magnus growled, sitting up and storming to the door. He pressed his finger against the speaker button. "Leave," he spoke with finality.

"I can't," a female voice replied. "It's urgent."

Magnus glanced back at Alec, who shrugged. "The couch will still be here later. Let her up."

Magnus muttered, "This better be important." and clicked the button to let the woman up.

Magnus opened the door and the woman-a Shadowhunter-stepped inside, a baby in her arms.

Alec inhaled sharply. "Marina Castorlark," he said, "I thought you fled the Clave."

"I did," she replied. "I-I would've had my marks stripped anyway, if anyone ever found out what I did."

"What did you do?" Alec questioned. "No one knew why you disappeared. Your parents and brother were crushed-not to even start on your _parabatai_."

Marina flinched. "He's the reason I left."

"What do you mean?" Alec asked with less force than before.

"I-there's no easy way to say this-I've been in love with Oliver, my _parabatai_ , for years. It just-it got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. I figured leaving was the lesser of two evils."

Alec's voice softened. "You're considered a traitor to the Clave, Marina."

She frowned. "I know."

"As-tragic-as this all is," Magnus interjected for the first time, "I don't understand what your business is here."

She took a deep breath, adjusting the baby in her arms. "When I fled the Clave, I-I didn't know what to do. I fell into hard times quickly, and I made many mistakes. One of those mistakes was-well-" She looked down at the baby in her arms. "-I got this girl out of it."

As if knowing she was being spoken about, the baby let out a cry.

"Oh, fuck," Marina swore, awkwardly bouncing the girl in her arms. "Please, don't cry."

"May I?" Alec asked, reaching toward the baby.

"Please do," she said immediately, almost tossing the infant at Alec.

"Watch it," Magnus snapped. "She's a baby not a _frisbee_."

"I'm sorry, I just-I don't know how-I'm sorry," she stuttered, quickly wiping a tear away from her face.

Magnus let out a long breath. "I still don't know why you've come here."

"I want her to be raised as a Shadowhunter."

"Then you should bring her to the Institute," Magnus said. "It's their duty to take in Shadowhunters with nowhere else to turn to."

"I can't do that," Marina insisted.

"Why not?" Alec questioned.

"Because her father is one of the fae," she replied, "but she deserves to be a Shadowhunter. You two are a symbol of unity between Shadowhunters and Downworlders, so I figured if anyone could help me it would be you."

Magnus sighed. "I'll cancel our reservation."

He stepped out of the room to make the phone call. Marina stepped closer to Alec, to look at the young girl.

"You got her to stop crying," she said, astonished.

"I have two kids, you know. She's not the first crying baby I've had to soothe."

"Yeah, but still. She's been crying nonstop since she was born," Marina explained.

"How old is she?" Alec asked.

"Three weeks. She was born March 31st."

"And what's her name?"

"She doesn't have one."

Alec turned sharply to the woman. "Excuse me?"

"I haven't named her."

"She's been alive for three weeks, and you haven't even bothered to give her a name?" Alec was incredulous.

"Well, I never planned to raise her myself," she defended.

"She's still human. Everyone deserves at least a _name_."

"Well, I'm sorry," she said. "I clearly don't know how to be a mother."

"Alright, let's get this figured out," Magnus interrupted, returning from the kitchen. "Have a seat, Marina. Alexander, could I see the baby?"

Magnus lifted the girl from his boyfriend's arms and took in every detail of the child. Bright yellow hair, nose decorated with freckles, her lips a bright pink, startling green eyes.

"Luckily for you, she passes as half mundane," Magnus observed. "I mean-you can definitely see the fairy in her, but it's not obvious unless you already know what she is."

"Could I use your bathroom?" Marina asked abruptly.

"Um, yeah," Alec replied. "It's at the end of the hallway."

"Thank you," she said, taking a long look at her daughter before walking off.

"This has really put a damper on our night without kids," Magnus mused, gently rocking the baby back and forth.

Alec let out a short laugh. "You could say that," he said. "It's rather counterproductive."

"At least she's a sweetheart," Magnus murmured, looking at the smiling baby.

"Yeah, she's awfully happy for an unwanted child. I imagine Marina isn't the best mother."

"How old is she?" Magnus questioned.

"Isabelle's age," Alec responded. "Whenever my family visited Idris growing up, the Penhallows would have the Castorlarks over for the evening and Iz, Marina, and Aline would play together."

"So you really do know her well?" Magnus asked, slightly incredulous. "I thought you were just being colloquial to a fellow Shadowhunter."

"No, her family was much closer to the Penhallows than they were to us," Alec explained. "I saw her once a year tops."

"What about her _parabatai_?" Magnus questioned.

"I don't know him at all. I've seen him around at Clave meetings though, and you could just tell that he was completely crushed when Marina fled. His name is James Pinewood."

"She must have really hurt him," Magnus said.

"She did," Alec growled. "I'm having trouble justifying her fleeing."

"Darling, you of all people know how difficult it is to be infatuated with your _parabatai_."

Alec sent him a sharp look. "I know _exactly_ how she felt. Yet, I didn't run away and leave everyone I loved to pick themselves up on their own."

"No, you just let them suffer watching you pine after someone you never had a chance with and _fall apart_ ," Magnus pointed out.

"I stayed despite how much it hurt, and it all worked out for the best," Alec countered. "It wasn't easy for anyone in any circumstance, but it was lesser of two evils."

"I was just trying to make you see that your way isn't the only way," Magnus said. "I wasn't saying you did anything wrong."

Alec sighed. "What's taking her so long anyway?"

"She's probably having a breakdown," Magnus said. "We should go make sure she's alright."

The pair walked down the hall and Magnus knocked on the door. "Marina, is everything okay?"

There was no response.

"Marina, would you please answer us?" Magnus tried again.

Still, there was silence.

"I'm coming in," Magnus said, grabbing the doorknob. It was locked.

Alec let out an exasperated sigh. He looked at Magnus. "Will you just...?"

Magnus nodded and sent blue sparks toward the doorknob, the door swinging open. It was as if no one had been there, excluding the open window.

"We only live on the second story," Alec noted, frowning. "Any Shadowhunter can jump that far without injury."

"Well, this makes things more complicated," Magnus observed, referring to the baby he was holding.

"If we brought her to the Institute, my mom would figure out that she has fairy blood and she would have to report it."

"So what do you propose we do?" Magnus questioned.

"I mean-Marina gave her to us," Alec said. "If it's what the mother wanted, I don't think the Clave would object too much. Nothing we couldn't handle, at least."

"Are you really suggesting that we do this again?" Magnus asked. "Only two have us _exhausted_."

"Yeah, but we love them more and more everyday. And we _do_ have a reputation for taking in strays."

Magnus smiled. "We do, don't we?"

"So what do you say, Magnus? Do you think we can keep her?"

"I think we can give it a shot for a few weeks and see what happens."

"I'll take that," Alec said, "but, we kind of need to give her a name."

"Arya," Magnus spoke without a moment's hesitation.

"Why Arya?" Alec asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was my mother's name," Magnus replied. "What do you think?"

Alec grinned up at his boyfriend. "I think we're going to need a bigger home."

* * *

 _ **January, 2018**_

"We should do this more often," Alec announced, smiling happily. "Today has been really fun."

"Darling, we can't just portal to Colorado whenever the kids want to go sledding." Magnus said, laughing.

"Yes, we can," Lilian argued. "We have magic."

"What I meant is that it seems a bit inconvenient, don't you think?" Magnus countered.

"No. It was fun, not inconvenient," Lilian retorted, stubborn as ever.

"Lil, do you even know what 'inconvenient' means?" her brother questioned, rolling his eyes at her antics.

"Uh huh," the young witch said adamantly.

"Well, what is it?"

"Papa, Max is being mean to me!" Lilian turned toward Alec, stomping her foot.

"Max, leave your sister alone," Alec said. "And Lilian, you know your brother is right, so stop baiting him."

"Daddy, up," Arya spoke suddenly, raising her hands up.

Magnus lifted the three-year-old into his arms.

"You're getting a bit big for this," Magnus noted. "Either that or I'm getting old."

Alec laughed. "Somehow I doubt you're aging. Come on, let's head back home. I'll invite Clary and Jace's boys for hot chocolate."

"Good idea," Magnus agreed. "I, for one, am losing feeling in my toes and I would like-"

A wailing sound from over a hill interrupted him.

"Max, portal you and your sisters to the Institute," Alec instructed, pulling a dagger from his boot. "Tell Uncle Jace that we'll be back soon."

"But Papa-" Max began.

"Listen to your father," Magnus spoke. "We'll be there in no time."

Max frowned but did as he was told as Magnus and Alec hurried over the hill.

"Give me the boy," a deep voice ordered. "And make him shut up."

"He's a baby, crying is all they do," a feminine voice shot back.

"It'll be silent as soon as we do this," the masculine voice countered. "We need the blood."

"Give me the baby," Alec said from the top of the hill, dagger aimed at the woman. She had dark hair, dark eyes, and a small frame. _A mundane_ , Alec realized with surprise. The stocky man with her was a mundane as well.

"No, you don't understand!" the woman said, startled by Alec and Magnus's appearance. "It's a monster."

" _He's_ an infant," Magnus argued. "Is he yours?"

"No!" the woman shot back. "No child of mine is a monster! Look at him, he has _horns_ and a _tail_. Like the devil."

"What do you need his blood for?" Alec questioned, eyes narrowed.

The dark-haired woman looked to her companion, frowning. "I don't know," she said. "He reached out to me. Said demon's blood could be used in some religious ritual."

"What does a mundane want with warlock's blood?" Magnus asked, tilting his head to the side suspiciously.

"My boss needs it," the man said. The baby let out a wail. " _For the love of God, Sarah, shut that thing up_."

The woman, Sarah, scowled and bounced the child in her arms.

"Who's your boss?" Alec demanded.

"That's not any of your business," he snarled.

Sparks inadvertently danced between Magnus's fingers, shocking the two mundanes. "I believe that anyone murdering a child of my kind is my business."

Sarah gasped. "You're one of-"

"I am," Magnus said, crossing his arms. "And I would appreciate it if you handed over the baby."

"I cannot give you a _demon_ ," the man said.

"Oh, I beg to differ," Magnus snapped.

"Well, of course, _you_ would," he snarled.

Alec stepped forward, dagger aimed at the man. "Don't think I won't kill you."

"I don't think you can-"

Magnus flicked his wrist toward the man, sending him flying and crashing into the snow-covered ground.

Sarah shrieked. "How did-? Did you _kill_ him?!"

Magnus shrugged, looking at his nails. "He's just unconscious. I'm not interested in killing mundanes." He crossed his arms. "Now how about you walk yourself over here and give me the kid."

She rushed over, placing the still-wailing baby in Magnus's waiting arms. Magnus rocked the boy slowly.

Alec and Magnus shared a quick look. Magnus nodded in the unconscious man's direction, before tilting his head toward Sarah. Alec walked away to where the man was lying while Magnus gave Sarah a glare.

"I didn't know what to do," she blurted out. "He was born and he wasn't _normal_ , and I just-"

"I'm going to try to give you the benefit of the doubt," Magnus spoke sharply. He pulled a slip of paper from his coat pocket. "I don't think you'll have any more issues with this guy, but if anyone else confronts you about the kid, call me. You don't want to keep the boy, do you?"

A startled look crossed her face. "I didn't-I don't-no."

"That's good, because I wouldn't have let you," Magnus said. "Now leave. I don't want to see you here anymore."

Alec walked over as she hurried away, sliding his dagger into his pocket. "His boss is named Brian Paddock, according to his cell phone. Izzy is sending the name to the Denver Institute." The little boy cradled in his arms. "So, what are we going to name this one?"

"Darling, we don't have another bedroom," Magnus said. "I don't think we can."

"Who else will take him then?" Alec questioned. Magnus frowned, not speaking. "Arya can move into Lil's room and we can turn hers into a nursery."

"This has become our thing, hasn't it?" Magnus mused. "Taking in unwanted children, I mean."

"It kind of has," Alec agreed. "But we're done after this. If another baby comes, we _cannot_ take it in. We only have so much room."

"You won't hear any protests from me."

They both looked down at the little boy. He was naked, excluding a thin blanket. Little black tufts of hair surrounded his short grey horns. His skin was even darker than his chocolate eyes. Everything about him was dark, yet it seemed he was reflecting nothing but light.

"So, about that name?" Alec began.

"I had a boyfriend named Nathaniel once," Magnus said. Alec sent him a sharp look. "I'm teasing. I've just always liked the name."

"Nate is a nice nickname," Alec noted. "I like it."

"So that's it then. Nathaniel Lightwood-Bane."

* * *

 _ **May 2019**_

"Arya, get your hands away from that sword," Maryse shouted.

"But I wanna learn," the five-year-old protested.

"You'll start training soon enough," Robert said. "If you want to learn, I'm sure Erin can teach you a bit more about the Clave and the Law."

Erin Tringale was the oldest and brightest child of the Tringales, a Shadowhunter family living in Long Island, and she had become a bit of tutor to the kids of the New York Institute.

"Yeah, Arya, I would love to teach you about the Accords," Erin called from where she was sitting, helping Jace and Clary's oldest, Jacob, with his rune drawings.

Arya smiled and skipped over to the teenager.

"When did the Institute become a daycare?" Magnus joked, walking over to Robert and Maryse, one-year-old Nate on his shoulders.

"Since you kids started popping out babies of your own," Maryse laughed, cradling Samuel, Jace and Clary's newborn.

"I can assure you, neither your son nor I have 'popped out' any babies," Magnus said humorously.

"I should hope not," Maryse said, grinning as well.

In all reality, the children were beginning to severely outnumber the adults. With Magnus's and Alec's four, Jace and Clary's three boys (Jacob, Stephen, and Samuel) and Isabelle and Simon's three-year-old, Emily, there was a sea of kids. Max was the oldest of eight, and he was only ten.

Though he never would have thought it possible fifteen years ago, Magus couldn't be happier with the situation.

"So, which Shadowhunters are on the raid?" Magnus asked. "Excluding the regulars, of course."

"The three Greenwells, Rachel and Joseph Retlend, Arthur Donclaw, and the Everett girls," Robert responded. "It's a good mix of people and skills."

"Daddy, Max won't play with me," Lilian bounded up to the group.

"Your brother is reading," Magnus said. "You can do that as well."

"But I want to play," she pouted.

"And Max wants to read," Magnus told her. "So find something else to do."

"Can I play with Nate?" she asked.

"Yeah, just be very careful. Remember, he's only one," Magnus replied, setting the toddler on the ground.

"Thank you, Daddy," Lilian said sweetly, scooping her little brother off the ground and bounding over to a corner.

"Lil, I mean it, be careful!" Magnus shouted after her. She ignored him and sat down with the baby.

"Isabelle used to do that with Max," Maryse told him. "She was a bit older, of course, but it was more or less the same thing."

"Alec says that Lilian is a lot like Isabelle was when she was that age," Magnus said. "Apparently, that just means stubborn as hell."

"Passionate too," Robert said.

"Yeah," Magnus mused, looking at his daughter. "She certainly is that."

The chorus of "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon blared through the library.

"Oh, that's Jace, sorry," Magnus said, picking up his phone. "Hello?"

"Magnus, get the Silent Brothers and any other healers to the Institute. We'll be there in less than two minutes," Jace said, immediately hanging up the phone.

Magnus's disposition turned cold. "Maryse, contact the Silent Brothers. There's been injuries. Robert, Erin, go upstairs to wait for them. Max, make sure all the younger kids stay here. I'll call a few warlocks."

Magnus opened his emergency contacts and put the phone to his ear as he stepped into the hallway.

"Hello?"

"Catarina, I need you to get to the Institute ASAP. I don't know how bad anything is, but you're the best healer I know."

"Give me five minutes," she responded.

"Thank you. I'll see you soon."

"They're here!" Robert yelled. "Everyone meet in the infirmary."

Magnus dashed down the hallway to the room. A flood of Shadowhunters, all covered in some type of blood, hurried toward him.

Magnus felt his heart stop. Alec, his Alexander, was being fully supported by his siblings, blood streaming from a wound in his chest.

"What the hell happened?" Magnus demanded, rushing over to the trio.

"It was a bloodbath, Magnus," Isabelle exclaimed. "There were dozens more than we were expecting."

"Were there any fatalities?" Robert asked, looking around frantically.

"Rachel Retland went in first," Jace replied. "Her body is in the car. Alec, Joseph Retland, Katherine Everitt, and Thomas Greenwell are all in critical condition. Clary and Simon are both injured, as well as a few others."

"The Silent Brothers have arrived," Maryse announced.

"I'm here too," Catarina said, stepping into the room. "What can I do to help?"

"Katherine took a hit in the back," Isabelle said, pointing to a woman writhing on a stretcher.

Catarina nodded and moved to help her.

"Someone help me get Alexander to a bed," Magnus ordered. Jace immediately responded.

"Papa?" A small voice said. Alec groaned in pain.

"Arya, go back to the library," Robert instructed.

"Papa!" She said again, with more desperation. She started running toward them.

Isabelle stepped forward and picked the girl up, dashing back in the direction Arya had come from. The young Shadowhunter protested until they were out of earshot, screaming for her father.

"Everyone here is now essential personnel," Maryse announced. "Find somewhere you can help. No one leaves until everyone is either dead or in stable condition."

Magnus was dragged from his slumber by a gentle shaking of his shoulder. He bolted up, blinking rapidly.

"Sorry," Alec said when Magnus became aware of his surroundings. Magnus was seated by Alec's bedside in the Institute's infirmary. He supposed the warlock must have fallen asleep at some point during the night. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Magnus waved him off, standing up to do a scan of Alec's vitals. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll live, thanks to you," Alec replied.

"That's not what I asked," Magnus pointed out.

Alec sighed. "Honestly, I feel like I was hit by a truck."

"More like a spiny and poisonous demon tail," Magnus said jokingly. "Where does it hurt the most?"

"Magnus, I'm fine-"

"Where does it hurt the most?" Magnus repeated.

Alec frowned. "My head is pounding."

Magnus placed his hand on the Shadowhunter's forehead, healing magic flowing through his palm.

Alec smiled. "Thank you." Magnus just nodded, pulling his hand away and sitting back down.

Alec shifted uncomfortably. There was a tense silence for a few moments, both waiting for the inevitable question. "How is everyone?"

Magnus frowned. "Rachel Retland died before she got here and Thomas Greenwell was too far gone by the time he got to the Institute. Both of them are dead." Alec winced. "According to Catarina, if Katherine Everitt and Joseph Retland make it through the night, they'll survive. Katherine will never walk again, even if she makes it."

"She did," Catarina said, startling both of them. "I don't mean to intrude, but I thought you'd both like to know. Katherine woke up a few minutes ago, and her vitals are back to normal." She paused. "Unfortunately, Joseph died an hour ago. We think his injuries combined with seeing his wife killed was too much for him."

"What's going to happen to Jeremiah?" Alec asked her.

"Who?" Magnus said.

"Joseph and Rachel's son," Alec replied. "He's six."

"He doesn't have any close living relatives, so they'll probably send him to Idris. Maryse said he'll be staying at the Institute for a few days."

"Thank you, Cat, for telling us," Magnus said, frowning. "Do you have any idea where our kids are?"

"Last I heard they were all on the third floor. Maryse had them all stay here overnight," she replied.

"I'll go make sure they're alright," Magnus said, rising from his chair. "I'm sure Jace wants to talk to you anyway."

Magnus exited the room, heading toward the staircase. He passed a woman crying whom he recognized as Thomas Greenwell's wife. He sent her a sympathetic look.

"Magnus!" Jace shouted. "Is Alec awake?"

"Yeah, he woke up a few minutes ago," Magnus replied.

Jace smiled. "Thank you. I think your kids are waiting for you."

"I was just heading up. Do you know what room they're in?"

"302," he said.

Magnus hurried up the steps to the third floor and quietly pushed open the door.

Max was sitting mom the floor with his back against the wall and his arms thrown over his knees, seemingly ignoring the chair a few feet from him. Arya had her hands folded on her stomach and was staring at the ceiling from where she was lying in the corner. Lilian was perched on the queen-sized bed, looking down at little Nate who was still asleep in her arms. They all (excluding the baby) abruptly looked up when Magnus entered.

"Is Papa okay?" Lilian whispered nervously as not to wake her brother.

"He's pretty beat-up, but he'll be fine," Magnus told them. They all breathed a sigh of relief. "Uncle Jace is talking to him right now, but we can all go down soon."

"I'm sorry I let Arya get out of the library," Max said quietly. "It was all really crazy and I didn't see her run out."

"It's not your fault, Max," Magnus brushed him off. "Did you all sleep in here?"

"Grandma said we could have our own rooms, but we didn't want to," Arya replied.

"Have you eaten since yesterday?" Magnus asked them. No one responded. "Well, that's what we're going to do right now. Let's head down to the kitchen."

"Dad, we were all really scared," Max said.

"It looked like Papa was going to die," Arya added.

"Well, I haven't failed to save your father yet," Magnus said. None of them seemed soothed. Magnus sighed and sat down next to Lilian on the bed, stroking her hair. "Look, I'm not going to lie to you all and say that Papa isn't going to be absolutely fine one day and dead the next. That's part of his job, and I promise you, I hate it even more than you do. However, I can assure you that your father is very careful and he has the best people looking out for him. He's been hunting for nearly fifteen years, and he's managed to survive every time."

"It's not fair!" Lilian suddenly exclaimed, waking her brother who immediately began weeping.

Magnus put out his hands and she handed the toddler to him. Magnus rocked the toddler gently in an attempt to soothe him.

"You're right, Lil," Magnus said. "It's not fair at all, but there's nothing we can do about it. Now, let's go get some breakfast and then go see Papa."

"Can you believe that she says she won't have sex until she fully heals? That could take a month," Jace complained.

Alec aggressively rolled his eyes. "Jace, I couldn't care less about your sex life. I think you can survive a few weeks."

"Hey, you'd be pretty upset if Magnus suddenly decided not to sleep with you for a while," Jace argued.

"Magnus goes on business trips. Plus, we have four kids," Alec said. "It's not ideal, but it's far from impossible."

"I don't understand how you, as a man, can think-"

"At least she's alive, Jace," Alec snapped. That brought him up short.

A young boy with reddish-brown hair entered the room, carrying a tray of food.

"Miss Loss asked me to bring you this," he said, holding out the tray.

Alec took it gratefully. "Thank you, Jeremiah," he said. "How are you holding up?"

The boy frowned. "Everyone keeps asking me that."

"That's because you're going through something really hard," Alec said.

"I'm going to go see my boys," Jace spoke, excusing himself.

"I keep forgetting it's real," Jeremiah said. "When I woke up, I thought I was at home with mommy and daddy but I was here."

"Your parents were good Shadowhunters and better people," Alec told to him. "It's not right."

A tear streamed down the boy's cheek. "Mrs. Lighwood said they were sending me to Idris to live with some other kids, but I don't wanna go. I've never been to Idris and I don't want to live with people I've never met."

"What do you want then?" Alec asked him.

He let out a sob. "I want to have parents who love me again."

Alec paused. "Did you see that man who was in here when you came in?" Jeremiah nodded. "Well, he's my brother and _parabatai_. My family took him in after his parents died, and we all love him very much."

"Really?" the boy asked. "As much as they love you?"

"Of course," Alec replied. "We're a family."

"Knock, knock, knock," Magnus said, sticking his head in the doorway. He entered, followed by their four kids.

Nate crawled over to the bed. "Papa, up," he giggled, raising his arms.

Alec leaned over and lifted the toddler onto his lap. "Hey there, Nate." Alec turned his attention to Jeremiah. "Um, Jeremiah, this is my boyfriend, Magnus, and our kids, Max, Lilian, Arya, and Nate. Everyone, this is Jeremiah Retland."

"Hi, Jeremiah," Arya greeted enthusiastically.

Jeremiah looked between Alec and Magnus, puzzled. "If you have kids, why aren't you married?"

"We aren't allowed to," Alec explained, "at least not in the Clave."

"Why not?" he asked.

"There's a few reasons," Magnus said. "One, because I'm a downworlder. Also because we're both men."

Jeremiah still looked confused. "Do you love each other?"

"Very, very much," Magnus told him.

"Well, if you love each other, you should be married," he said.

"We agree," Magnus told him. "Unfortunately, it's not our decision."

"I like your shirt, Jeremiah," Arya said abruptly. "The colors are really pretty."

"Thank you," the boy responded shyly. "It's my favorite shirt."

"So why are you here?" Arya questioned.

"Don't intrude, Arya," Alec scolded.

"I'm here because my parents died in the hunt," Jeremiah bluntly informed her.

"I'm really sorry," Arya told him. "I thought my Papa was going to die, but he didn't."

"They're sending me away somewhere now," he told her.

"That's not fair! You didn't do anything wrong," she said.

"We still have a few days to get everything figured out," Alec interjected. "Until then, Jeremiah will be staying at the Institute."

"You can stay at our house," Arya suggested.

"Can I please?" Jeremiah asked. "You're the only ones who have talked much to me."

Magnus and Alec shared a look.

"I suppose you could sleep on the bottom bunk in Max's room," Magnus said. "But we have to clear it with Maryse and the Clave."

"I'll talk to her as soon as she comes to see me," Alec said. "I doubt it will be a problem, though. We're happy to have you stay with us for a few days."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Lightwood and Mr. … Magnus," he said.

"It's our pleasure," Magnus told him, "and please, call us Alec and Magnus."

"Dinner's here," Alex shouted as he answered the door. "Lilian, it's your turn to set the table!"

Alec handed a bundle of cash to the deliveryman and lifted the bags into his arms. He murmured a "thank you" and kicked the door shut.

"Let me hold those, darling," Magnus said, reaching for the bags. "Don't exert yourself."

"Magnus, I'm _fine_ ," Alec insisted. "Stop pampering me. If there was something wrong, I'd still be in the infirmary."

"Catarina said you should take it easy for a while," Magnus reminded him. "Just let me take the food."

Alec sighed in defeat, handing him the bags. "This is only because I don't want to get in an argument."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "No, love, it's because you know I'm right."

"Table is ready," Lilian shouted from the dining room.

"Did you add a place for Jeremiah?" Alec asked her.

"I did," she replied.

Alec lifted Nate into the highchair set out for him. "Arya, Jeremiah, come out for dinner!"

The two children came dashing out of the master bedroom.

"I was showing him the pictures Daddy brings back whenever he leaves for while," Arya explained.

"I really liked the one from Japan," Jeremiah said. "The sword in the garden was really cool."

"That was a traditional Japanese sword that belonged to a good warlock friend of mine," Magnus informed him. "It's hundreds of years old."

"That's awesome," the boy exclaimed.

"I'm glad you liked it," Magnus said. "Now, everyone sit down and we'll pass around the food."

They all hurried to their seats as Alec poured the meals into bowls. "Shrimp fried rice for Max, chicken lo mein for Arya and Jeremiah…"

"So what did you all do today while I was talking to Grandma and Grandpa?" Magnus asked the kids.

"Aunt Catarina showed Max and I how to do some cool spells," Lilian said enthusiastically. "We can get ice cream and stuff to come to us from other places."

"She means we can summon food," Max clarified. "Which you taught us a few months ago, but Lil forgot."

"You didn't remember either!" Lilian shouted at him. Nate whimpered.

"Whoa, Lilian, inside voices, please," Alec scolded. She pouted.

"Me and Jeremiah helped out in the infirmary," Arya told them all. "It was really fun."

"What did you do to help?" Magnus asked.

"We brought food to everyone," Jeremiah said. "And we talked to people who seemed sad. We tried to make them happy."

"That was nice of you," Alec said. "You two must have been a good team."

"We were great, Papa," Arya exclaimed.

"I'm sure you were-" Alec paused for a minute, thinking. "Who was watching Nate during all this?"

The boy giggled at the sound of his name.

Magnus's eyes widened. "I don't know."

"By the Angel, Magnus, how do you not know where _our son_ was for hours today?" Alec questioned.

"I don't know, Alexander, we have four children and I only have one pair of eyes," Magnus snapped.

"Part of being a parent is knowing-"

"Um, Papa and Dad," Max spoke up. Both men looked at him. "I think Nate was playing with Sammy. Aunt Clary was with them."

Magnus tilted his head to the side. "You know what, I do remember that." He rubbed his temples. "I need to get more sleep tonight."

"I think we all do," Alec said. "Let's just finish up dinner and head to bed."

"Knock, knock, knock," Magnus said, opening the door to Arya and Lilian's room. Alec stepped in behind him.

Arya was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed and her back against a few pillows. She was wearing a yellow nightgown covered in a flower pattern. She was laughing at something Jeremiah said, who was sitting on Lilian's bed on the other side of the room, back against the wall. He was clad in a nightshirt and a pair of pajama pants, both far too big for him. Magnus recognized them as Max's.

"Hey, Jeremiah, I thought you were sleeping in Max's room," Magnus said in a questioning tone.

"He was, but then he said he wanted to stay in here and talk to me," Arya told them. "So Lilian is sleeping in Max's bottom bunk. It's like a sleepover!"

"Oh, well, okay." Magnus looked at Alec for help. Alec only shrugged his shoulders. "That's fine, I guess. You both need to get to sleep though, so don't stay up talking for too long."

"We won't," Arya assured him, crawling under her covers.

Alec and Magnus walked over, pulling her blankets up to her chin. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart," Magnus said, kissing her forehead.

"We love you," Alec added, doing the same.

Jeremiah got under his covers, lip trembling.

Alec approached the bed. He pulled the blankets up to Jeremiah's chin.

"Good night, Jeremiah," Alec said gently. "If you need anything at all, you can come get us. Our bedroom is at the end of the hall."

The boy didn't respond.

Alec and Magnus walked back to the door.

"Thank you. Good night," Jeremiah's voice came out quietly.

Magnus and Alec shared a smile.

"Sleep well, you two," Magnus said, switching off the light and closing the door.

Magnus groaned as an incessant pounding sounded throughout the house. He rolled over in the bed to look at his phone on the bedside table.

"What is it?" Alec murmured, still mostly asleep.

"Someone's knocking on the door at eight in the morning," Magnus snapped.

"Do you want me to get it?" Alec asked.

The knock came again.

"Well, whoever it is doesn't seem to be going away," Magnus said.

Alec begrudgingly stood up, pulling on a pair of sweatpants as he did. He hurried out into the living room.

"Papa, what's hap-happening?" Lilian asked, walking up to him, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I'm sure it's nothing, baby," Alec replied. "Go back to bed."

She nodded and went back into Max's room.

Alec opened the door with a frown.

"Alexander, put on a shirt, I could've been a demon," Maryse said, inviting herself into the house.

Alec shook his head, wondering both why a demon would show up on his doorstep and what a single piece of fabric would do to protect him. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take Jeremiah to his old apartment to gather his things. I sent you a text," she explained.

"I was asleep, and Jeremiah still is," Alec told her.

Maryse frowned. "Why? You didn't go on a hunt last night. You should've been up an hour ago."

"I also don't train everyday anymore, so I sleep in more," Alec said, "as do the kids."

"Well, wake the boy up," she instructed. "Now is the only good time to take him.

Magnus trudged out of the bedroom, wearing a silk robe. "Darling, come back to-oh, hello, Maryse."

"Hello, Magnus," she said. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you as well," he replied. "Not that it isn't a pleasure to see you, but may I ask what you're doing in my living room at eight in the morning?"

"She wants to take Jeremiah to get his things from the Retlands' apartment," Alec explained.

"I'll go get dressed," Magnus said.

"Don't bother," Alec told him. "Someone needs to stay with the other kids. I'm a Shadowhunter, I should go with Jeremiah. Will you just wake him up?"

Magnus nodded, walking down the hall. He gently pushed open the door. Both Arya and Jeremiah were fast asleep. Magnus knelt down next to Jeremiah, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Hey, Jeremiah, you've got to get up," Magnus whispered.

"Whaaaa?" He murmured, mostly asleep.

"Alec is going to take you to get your things from your old house," Magnus told him. "You can get clothes and toys and things like that."

Arya let out a groan from the other side of the room, stretching groggily. "Daddy, why are you up?"

"Jeremiah is going to pick up a few things from his house," Magnus explained. "Go back to bed."

"Can I come?" She asked.

"I don't think so, Arya," Magnus replied. "This is kind of private."

"I want her to come," Jeremiah said. "I want there to be people there."

"Oh?" Magnus spoke, slightly startled. "I suppose that will be okay, if it's what you want."

"It is," he assured.

"Well, then you two should both get dressed. I'll go grab you some clothes from Max's room."

It had been just over a week. The whole family was getting along splendidly with Jeremiah. Max had cleaned out his whole closet to find old clothes that would fit Jeremiah. Lilian loved teaching him everything she knew about the downworld. Jeremiah seemed to enjoy trying to get Nate to laugh. Magnus would entertain him by making pieces of furniture fly around the room and summoning butterflies to dance around Jeremiah's head. Alec had been a rock, being there for anything and everything Jeremiah needed. Arya and Jeremiah were practically attached at the hip.

The whole family was gathered around the television, watching _Hercules_ for what Alec believed to be the twentieth time. Max was seated in a red leather recliner, Nate in his lap. Magnus was lying on the chaise lounge, absentmindedly filing his nails. Arya and Jeremiah had claimed most of the sofa, forcing Lilian to perch on the arm. Alec was on the floor with his back against the couch.

The knock came in the middle of "Go the Distance".

"I'll get that," Magnus said, rising. He looked through the peephole before unlatching the door. "Darling, pause the movie. It's your parents."

Alec reached for the remote confusedly as Magnus welcomed the pair into the house.

"Grandma! Grandpa! What are you doing here?" Lilian exclaimed happily.

Maryse smiled at her. "We have a home for Jeremiah. It's a nice orphanage in Idris."

"What?" Jeremiah said, surprised.

"Right now?" Alec questioned. "You didn't give us any notice!"

"We only just found out that they were ready for him," Robert told them. "So it's time to pack a bag and head to Alicante."

"This is too sudden," Magnus said. "He can't just up and leave without being ready for it."

"Magnus, you should know that this is how it works with Nephilim. People die and we quickly adapt," Maryse argued.

"Mom, he's six," Alec whispered, so the kids couldn't hear. "He's traumatized. You can't just take him somewhere he doesn't know anyone and there's only three or so adults watching over thirty kids! He can't take it."

"Alexander, there isn't another option," Maryse snapped. "Jeremiah, would you go pack your things and say your goodbyes."

Instead of walking to Arya's room, he walked over and stood behind Alec's legs. He peeked his head to the side to look at Robert and Maryse.

"I don't want to leave," he said quietly.

"You'll have trained people taking care of you. I promise it will be okay," Maryse assured, kneeling to talk to him face-to-face.

"Alec and Magnus are taking care of me," he said. "I want to stay here."

"Grandma, don't make him go to Idris!" Arya yelled. "He's my best friend!"

"Arya, there's nowhere else he can go," Robert said gently.

"He can stay here," Arya insisted, as she did a week ago when he was supposed to stay at the Institute.

"There's no room," Maryse pointed out.

Arya sent her parents a pitiful look. "Papa? Daddy?"

The two locked eyes, sharing a silent conversation. After a minute, Magnus nodded.

"We can make room," Alec said. "If he wants to stay, he can stay."

Jeremiah huggd Alec's hips, murmuring "Thank you". Alec rubbed circles into his back gently.

"Alexander, you already have four children to care for, and you only have four bedrooms," Maryse argued.

"Nathanial is almost potty-trained," Magnus said. "Once that happens, we can move Jeremiah into that room and move Lilian back into hers. We'll make it work, since it seems to be what's best."

"I don't think the Clave will object," Robert said. "Most of the orphanages in Idris are already over-filled."

Maryse thought for a moment. "I suppose he can stay with you, if you're sure you can handle it."

"We'll make do," Alec assured her. "We'll see you for a family dinner at the Institute tomorrow night?"

Maryse nodded. "Of course. I'm making chicken, so come ready to eat."

"Thanks, Mom. We're looking forward to it."

"We should get back to the Institute," Robert interjected. "We have some paperwork to we have to send to the orphanage."

"Bye, Gamma! Bye, Gampa!" Nate shouted, giggling.

They both smiled, saying their goodbyes and heading out.

Jeremiah ran over to Magnus and hugged him. "Thank you," he said.

Magnus and Alec shared a smile.

"Welcome to the family."


	9. High School AU

_**So here's the token High School AU every one-shot series has. I had a lot of fun writing this one, so I hope you like it!**_

Alec shoved a belt through the loops in his jeans, beads of water falling on his shoulders from his freshly washed hair. He picked up his towel, using it to dry his dark locks.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two of his teammates, Sebastian Verlac and George Lovelace, approaching him. Both were in towels.

"Hey, Alec, why were you late to practice today?" George asked him curiously.

Alec frowned. "I was shopping with my sister."

They both laughed good-naturedly.

"Dude, that's pretty gay," Sebastian teased.

Alec bit his tongue as he rolled his eyes, trying to appear as if their words didn't hurt.

"Fuck off, Sebastian," he said. "She practically had to drag me to the stores."

Sebastian grinned. "Don't your panties in a bunch, Lightwood. You know we're just messing with you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Alec responded. "I'm just-"

"Alec!" Jace's voice rang out from the entrance of the locker room. "We have to pick Max up from karate! Move your ass."

Alec grabbed his sweater from the locker, pulling it over his head. He slammed the door shut. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He waved goodbye to the guys, gratefully leaving the locker room.

 _If they ever found out_ , _things would never be the same._

"Thank the Angel, it's finally the weekend," Jace exclaimed as they walked down the steps of Angel Raziel Academy.

"Does Izzy have cheerleading practice today?" Alec wondered aloud, ignoring Jace's previous statement.

"Yeah, she's stuck there until six," he answered, nodding toward Saint Ann's Institute, the all girls school across the street. "By the way, I need to use the car tonight."

"Why? Do you have plans with Clary or something?" Ever since they started dating two and a half months ago, they had been spending an extraordinary amount of time together. Alec had never seen Jace happier.

"No, but it's not like you need it to go anywhere," Jace replied.

Alec scowled at him. "How do you know? I could have plans!"

Jace grinned. "You do. You just won't be the one driving."

"What are you-"

Jace cocked his head toward the gates that allow entrance into the parking lot. Sure, enough Magnus was there, leaning against a column of stone.

Alec smiled instinctively.

"Did you two not have plans?" Jace asked.

"They were for tomorrow," Alec told him. "But I guess I should go see what he's doing here."

Alec fished the keys out of his pocket, handing them to Jace. "Tell my parents I'm at the kickboxing gym and then going out with the team."

"Will do," Jace said. "Tell him I say 'go fuck yourself'."

Alec laughed and walked away in direction of the gates. Jace was the only person excluding Isabelle who knew Alec was gay, and he was incredibly grateful for Jace's support.

As Alec approached, he took in Magnus's appearance. He was wearing tight, red leather pants paired with knee-high black boots. His shirt was simple (to his standards at least): just a black and grey button-up left hanging mostly open. His neck was adorned with various necklaces.

One of Alec's classmates passed him, saying something Alec couldn't make out. Magnus rolled his eyes and flipped the other boy off, snapping back at him with something scathing. The senior stomped off.

Alec raised an eyebrow as he fell into step beside Magnus, who was striding out the gates.

"What was that about?" Alec asked.

Magnus shrugged. "He called me a 'faggot' and told me I didn't belong here, so I merely pointed out that I, at least, am secure enough about myself not to throw around juvenile insults."

Alec laughed. "I bet that really pissed him off."

"He was pretty damn close to throwing a temper tantrum," Magnus told him.

Alec smiled. That guy was a complete asshole to everyone. The only reason he had any friends was because he was quarterback on the football team.

"So what are you doing here?" Alec questioned Magnus.

"Well, my school let out early today, so I figured I'd take you on a date. My dad is out of town, so maybe we can turn this into a two-day celebration."

"That sounds great," Alec said. "What do you have planned?"

Magnus grinned slyly. "Well, first this."

He grabbed Alec's wrist and dragged him into an alley, pulling him in for a kiss. Alec brought his hands to Magnus's face, pulling the man even closer.

Magnus pulled away first. "Happy nine months, love," he whispered. "If I had gotten you pregnant on our first date, we would have a baby by now."

Alec let out a short giggle, his cheeks turning red.

"Damn it, now I'm embarrassed," he said with a laugh.

Magnus smiled. "You know I love seeing that blush of yours."

"Seriously though, what's the plan for tonight?" Alec asked.

"Pizza at my place and then out for ice cream. We'll see how long that lasts."

"Sounds perfect."

"Your championship game is coming up, right?" Magnus asked, dipping a spoon in his mint-chocolate-chip ice cream.

"Yeah, it's two weeks from today," Alec replied. "We're playing the top team in the state."

"I thought Raziel's was the best," Magnus said questioningly.

"We're technically both the top team," Alec explained. "We're both undefeated, because we tied when we played them earlier this year."

"That will be exciting," Magnus said.

"Honestly, I'm nervous as hell," Alec confessed. "If I make one mistake, it will cost us the title."

"Darling, you're one of the best high school goalkeepers in the state," Magnus pointed out. "You've only let three goals go by this entire season."

"Exactly," Alec said. "If even one of those missteps happens in the game, we'll probably lose."

Magnus shrugged. "There's no shame in second place."

"We both know that's not true," Alec said.

Magnus stopped walking turning to meet Alec's eyes.

"Perhaps," he mused, "but I know you'll do the absolute best you can and look super hot in your uniform while you do it."

Alec smiled sadly. "I'd really like to kiss you right now."

"You know I wouldn't object."

Alec lowered his gaze. "I know. And I'm sorry. I just-I can't."

Magnus frowned, resuming their walk back to his apartment.

"I know you're afraid, and I understand why. Your father is running for office, you're attending an all boys Catholic school, your teammates might not accept you," Magnus said. "I just hate not being able to show the world how much I love you and that you're completely taken."

Alec kissed him quickly on the mouth. He then looked around, gesturing toward the few people on the sidewalk at ten o'clock at night.

"It's not much, by now these strangers know. That's something, right?"

Magnus nodded, but his eyes were downcast. "Yeah. It's something."

Magnus awoke to empty sheets and the smell of food. He sat up in the bed, groggily stretching his arms behind his back. He pushed the covers off himself and got out of bed, not bothering to put anything on over his red boxer-briefs.

The smell of pancake batter drew him to the kitchen.

Magnus leaned against the doorway with a smile.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise," he said to his boyfriend, taking in his position in front of the stove and his hand on the pan handle.

"I can't serve you breakfast in bed if you're not in bed," Alec told him, flipping a stack of pancakes onto a plate.

Magnus grabbed his plate from the counter and took a seat at the island. "Thank you, anyway."

Alec took a plate from himself and sat down next to his boyfriend.

"So where did you tell your parents you are?" Magnus asked.

"Jonathan Morgenstern's house," Alec replied. "It makes sense because Jace wouldn't be allowed to spend the night in the same house as Clary."

"I thought Clary lived with her mom," Magnus said in a questioning tone.

"She stays with her dad Thursdays and Fridays," Alec explained.

"What time do they expect you home?" Magnus asked.

"I can stay until practice at three," he responded.

Magnus smiled slyly. "So I get you for another five hours?"

"Yeah, we can go out to lunch or something," Alec said, not meeting Magnus's eyes.

Magnus raised his eyebrow. "You're willing to go have a meal with me? Outside?"

Alec shrugged. "As long as it's not somewhere the guys at my school frequent."

Magnus grinned. "I know just the place. We can go in a few hours."

"What do you want to do until then?" Alec asked, oblivious.

Magnus laughed, leaning into his boyfriend's lips. "I have a few ideas."

"I want you to know that I think it's great you're becoming more comfortable being seen in public with me," Magnus said as they sat down at their table.

"Well, I know you hate how I hide our relationship," Alec responded.

"You don't have to do it for me," Magnus told him, placing his hand over Alec's. "I get that you aren't in a very supportive environment."

"I know I don't _have to_ ," Alec replied, "but I love you, and it's worth the risk to see that smile on your face."

Magnus laughed, pulling his hand away to pick up the menu. "You're such a sap."

Alec chuckled. "Don't let that get back to my team. I'd never hear the end of it."

"Speaking of," Magnus began, "it seems like you're having far more practices than usual."

"Yeah, Coach Hodge has been adding a ton of practices to prepare for the championship," Alec explained. "He really wants us to win, and he's nervous as hell. Yesterday was actually our first day off in two weeks."

"Wow, this must be a really big deal," Magnus observed.

"We really want to win it," Alec said.

"Well, you destroyed my school's team when you played them a few weeks ago," Magnus reminded him.

"That's because your team is kind of terrible," Alec pointed out.

Magnus laughed. "You're right. We've lost almost every game this season. I mean-I've been told. I seldom go to the games."

"Would you be willing to make an exception for the championship?" Alec asked shyly.

Magnus's eyebrows shot up. "You want me to come?"

"Yeah, you can bring a friend to sit with," Alec said. "A lot of people in the community come to watch, so you wouldn't stand out or anything. It would mean a lot to me if you were there."

Magnus grinned. "Then, I'll be there. I'll bring Catarina and Ragnor with me."

Alec sighed happily. "I love you."

"Of course you do, darling," Magnus teased. "I'm a catch."

"Lightwood, what was up with you today?" Coach Hodge called to him as he jogged off the field. "You were unstoppable."

"Thanks, Coach," Alec replied, grinning.

"What put you in such a good mood?" Hodge asked.

Alec rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of a lie. Before he could answer Jonathan shouted over them, "Alec had sex last night."

Alec whirled around startled. "What are you-"

"Your mom called me last night because you didn't pick up your phone," he explained. "Apparently, Alec told his parents he was over at my place. Don't worry, I covered for you."

Alec stood there, gobsmacked.

"Hold on, did I hear that right?" George ran up to them, attracting the attention of some of the team. "Alec has a girlfriend?"

Alec bit his tongue in frustration. "Something like that."

Hodge patted his shoulder. "Well, whatever works. I'll head out, because I feel like this isn't a conversation I should be a part of."

"So Alec, are we going to meet your girlfriend at the championship?" Jonathan asked.

"Don't count on it," Alec frowned.

"It's a huge deal! Is she not going to come out?" Isabelle's boyfriend, Simon Lewis, questioned.

"I'm not talking about this," Alec said.

"Come on, Alec! We're your teammates. Is she ugly or something?" Sebastian asked.

Alec let out a short laugh. "It's not that."

"At least tell us her name," Jonathan demanded.

"Hey, guys, Alec's a private guy," Jace interjected. "He doesn't have to tell you if he doesn't want to talk about it."

"I saved your ass and you won't even tell me who I did it for," Jonathan argued.

Alec stayed silent.

"What the fuck, man? I should just tell your dad I lied."

"We'll see about the fucking game, Jonathan!" Alec snapped.

"By the Angel, I was just asking," Jonathan snapped back.

"Well, how about you stop being so nosey all the time?!" Alec responded, his voice rising.

"Or you could stop closing yourself off to your friends!" Jonathan yelled back.

"I'm not closing myself off!"

"God, Alec, you're so full of shit," Jonathan shouted. "You're so pissy all the goddamn time and you won't even talk to the people who have your back!"

Alec clenched his fists. "You don't know the first thing about me."

"Oh, really-?"

"Hey!" Hodge shouted, jogging over to them. "You're teammates. Stop this petty fighting, you hear?"

"Alec's being a prick!" Jonathan argues.

Alec stepped forward to retort, but Jace spoke in a warning tone, "Alec, don't."

"By the Angel, both of you go get dressed and head home. This better be forgotten by tomorrow."

The fight was not forgotten by tomorrow. In fact, the tension still remained almost two weeks later, the day before the championship.

"Magnus, he was such an ass. He had no right to say those things," Alec complained. They were in Alec's bedroom, pretending to do homework. It was rare they were able to spend time at the Lightwood house, but Maryse was working late, Robert was on a business trip until the next morning, and Isabelle had taken Max to see a movie. Jace was the only one still home, but he was doing homework in the basement, on the opposite side of the house.

Magnus attempted to hold back an eye roll. He failed.

"Did you really just roll your eyes at me?" Alec questioned angrily.

Magnus frowned. "I did."

"He was completely out of line, Magnus! I'm allowed to be upset," Alec argued.

"Of course you're allowed to be upset," Magnus said, "He was rude to you...but it seems unreasonable to still be bitching two weeks later when what he said was true."

"Excuse me?" Alec snapped.

"Six people in the world know that you're gay," Magnus pointed out. "Me, Isabelle, Jace, Cat, Ragnor, and that one guy who passed us in Central Park that one time and threw homophobic slurs. You won't even let me tell Tessa, because she's dating your third cousin."

Alec paused, frowning. He looked away. "I thought you were fine with it."

"I deal with it and I understand it," Magnus corrected. "But do you see my point? You close yourself off to almost everyone."

"My dad's running for office and I go to an all boys Catholic school," Alec said. "You know what would happen."

"I don't _know_ , but I can guess it won't be pretty," Magnus agreed. "That's why I don't pressure you to come out. It doesn't mean there isn't truth behind what he said."

Alec opened his mouth to retort, then shut it again. "Fuck."

"Maybe you should make peace with him," Magnus suggested, "at least for the championship game."

"You're still going, right?"

"I'll be cheering in the front row."

Alec lied back on his bed. "I'm so nervous."

Magnus lied down next to him. "Nerves are good. It means you care."

"Nerves mess up my game play," Alec said. "They make me distracted."

"Well what makes you focused?"

"You."

Magnus sat up on his elbows, turning his head to look at him. "What?"

"I can focus on you," Alec clarified.

Magnus rolled his eyes, laughing silently. "You really love your cheesy romantic lines."

Alec grinned. "I'm serious. You make me focus, even if I don't care about whatever it is you're on about."

"You don't care about the things I say?" Magnus teased.

"I don't care about the contestants on the new season of 'Project Runway'."

Magnus smiled as he lied back down without a word. There was a comfortable silence.

"If you can focus on me," Magnus began after a moment, "maybe you should focus on the fact that I'm watching you play in the stands, and I'm confident you'll be great."

"You might actually have something with that idea," Alec mused.

"Of course, I do, darling," Magnus said. "I'm brilliant and far smarter than you."

Alec laughed with an eye roll. "Why do you even keep me around?"

Magnus shrugged. "You have nice abs. And don't get me started on your-"

Alec cut him off with a kiss. "Mhm," he murmured.

Magnus pulled back briefly. "That's what I was going to say: your kisses."

"You're full of shit," Alec said.

Magnus just nodded and pulled him back down on the bed.

Alec spotted Jonathan on the field, passing the ball back and forth with Sebastian.

"Jonathan!" he called. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

The forward looked at him suspiciously, before nodding.

"Pass with George for a bit," he said, walking over to Alec. He crossed his arms. "What else could I possibly have done to piss you off?"

"Nothing," Alec told him. "I actually wanted to wave a white flag."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes," Alec confirmed. "I still think you were out of line to talk to me like that, but someone made me realize that your words had some truth to them."

Jonathan still looked slightly wary. "Are you apologizing to me?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

The other boy grinned. "Thanks, man. I probably should apologize as well. I overreacted."

"So we're good?" Alec asked, offering a hand.

"We're good." Jonathan grabbed his hand and went in for the iconic bro-hug. "So is she here?"

"What?" Alec asked, startled.

"Where's your girlfriend?" he clarified.

"Oh, somewhere around here, I'm sure," Alec responded.

"Are you gonna let the team meet her after the game?" He questioned. "She must be something special if she locked down Mr. Always-Single."

Alec looked to the crowd, quickly finding Magnus in the stands, precisely where he said he'd be. They locked eyes and Magnus sent him a smile.

"Yeah. We'll see," Alec replied to Sebastian.

"Come on," he said. "We've got to practice. Don't let any of my shots get passed you."

It was going to a shootout. The teams were tied 1-1 after overtime. The crowd murmured intensely.

"Team, huddle up," Hodge shouted. They all hurried into the group. "Our five shooters with the best records are Sam, George, Paul, Jace, and Jonathan. You'll shoot in that order. Alec, you're in goal."

Jace patted him on the back. "You've got this, Alec."

"So do you," he replied.

"We can win this, guys," Simon said to get them excited.

The ref blowed his whistle.

"Okay, everyone head out into your positions."

Magnus watched intently, his foot tapping incessantly. Catarina put her hand on his knee in an attempt to steady it.

"Why are you so anxious?" she asked.

"He really wants to win," Magnus explained. "And if he lets more balls by than the other goalie, he'll be distraught."

"They're going to win," Ragnor added. "I have this feeling."

They had the first shot. Alec watched from across the field as Samuel Westerfeld ran up to the ball and sent it into the goalie's waiting arms. It was his turn.

Alec focused on the man in front of him. He was a big guy-as tall as Alec, with broad shoulders. Alec bent his knees so he was ready to jump if needed.

The boy kicked the ball and Alec dove to the left, reflecting the soccer ball with his palms.

"Yes!" Magnus exclaimed instinctively, raising his hands to cheer.

"I have never seen you this enthusiastic about a sport," Ragnor noted.

"It's because he's _in love_ ," Catarina teased.

"Am I supposed to be embarrassed by that?" Magnus asked.

Alec's team once again failed to score and Alec blocked another ball coming toward the goal. The same thing happened again as everyone in the stands held their breath.

It was on the fourth shot that things started happening.

Jace's shot slipped passed the other goalie's fingertips, putting Angel Raziel Academy in the lead. Immediately after, a ball flew just above Alec's hands and into the goal.

Alec ran a hand through his sweaty hair in frustration. "Well there goes the lead," he muttered to himself.

Across the field, Jonathan's shot went in the goal. Alec looked at the guy in front of him anxiously. It was the same player who scored on him earlier in the game. If he already scored once…

"Shake it off, Alec!" He heard from the stands. Alec looked up and saw Magnus staring intently at him. Magnus smiled.

Alec turned his focus back toward the game. _Watch his eyes, Alec_ , he heard Coach Hodge's voice in his head. _They always look where they're aiming_.

Alec bent his knees and stood on the balls of his feet. He looked back at the player's eyes.

Right and down.

Alec was diving before the ball was in movement and the ball was quickly trapped between his hands and chest.

The stands erupted in cheers. Alec picked himself off the ground, grinning widely. He joined his team in the middle of the field, wrapping his arms around Jace and Jonathan's shoulders.

"Thanks for the win," he said happily to them.

"We wouldn't have it if you didn't block all those shots," Jace pointed out. "Alec, you were great."

Alec ducked his head at the compliment. "Thanks."

"Let's go talk to everyone who came to see the game," Jonathan suggested, already walking toward the stands.

Jace and Alec quickly followed. They both got various pats on the back and "congratulations" from their teammates.

Alec noticed Magnus in the crowd of people standing up, still cheering. They grinned at each other. Alec waved him over.

Magnus looked a little taken aback, but moved forward anyway. He stood behind the barricade between the field and the stands.

"You were phenomenal out there," Magnus enthused. "I told you you would be."

"As usual, you were right," Alec admitted.

"That's what I like to hear," Magnus teased.

"Did you have any fun?" Alec asked. "I hope you weren't as miserable as you usually are when I make you watch sports."

"Are you kidding me? I couldn't stop watching," Magnus assured him. He lowered his voice. "To be fair, I think that my have been because I was intently watching you rather than the actual quality of the game. I just love seeing you happy and you're never happier than in a game."

"I can think of a few times I'm happier," Alec whispered back. "Like when I'm with you."

Magnus rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "There you go again with the lines."

Alec surveyed the area. His teammates were scattered around, being congratulated by family and loved ones. Isabelle was with the cheer team on the sidelines. Jace had jumped over the barricade and had his arm around Clary, who was beaming up at him. His parents were walking down the stands with Max in his direction.

He looked back at Magnus, who was smiling at him.

"I guess I just want the man of love to know how much he means to me."

Before Magnus had the chance to respond, Alec grabbed his face and crashed their lips together.

Magnus instinctively brought his hands to Alec's waist, pulling him as close as the barricade would allow.

Alec pulled his face back, running his thumb over the sides of Magnus's cheeks. "And I'm tired of caring who knows it."

 _ **Please leave a review!**_


	10. High School AU Part 2

**So this one took me FOREVER, but I hope you all like it. I tried to satisfy everyone's wants with this chapter, and the reviews really kept me inspired. I should have another chapter up soon!**

 _Alec surveyed the area. His teammates were scattered around, being congratulated by family and loved ones. Isabelle was with the cheer team on the sidelines. Jace had jumped over the barricade and had his arm around Clary, who was beaming up at him. His parents were walking down the stands with Max in his direction._

 _He looked back at Magnus, who was smiling at him._

" _I guess I just want the man of love to know how much he means to me."_

 _Before Magnus had the chance to respond, Alec grabbed his face and crashed their lips together._

 _Magnus instinctively brought his hands to Alec's waist, pulling him as close as the barricade would allow._

 _Alec pulled his face back, running his thumb over the sides of Magnus's cheeks. "And I'm tired of caring who knows it."_

The first thing Alec heard was a wolf-whistle, immediately followed by a loud "Woooooo!" Jace and Isabelle respectively, without a doubt.

Jace reached the pair first, patting Alec on the shoulder.

"Look at you, man. I'm impressed," Jace said. "It's about damn time."

"I'm so fucking proud of you!" Isabelle exclaimed as she bear-hugged Alec from behind. "What you just did-" She hesitated, looking for the right words. "Alec, that was so incredibly brave. I don't know if I could have done it, even if I'd been with someone for-what is it? Nine months?"

"Nine-and-a-half," Magnus corrected, beaming.

"Yeah, that's a bit long to be kept waiting," Alec agreed, smiling up at his boyfriend. "I'm sorry I took all that time to build up the courage."

"Don't apologize for anything!" Magnus quickly demanded. "I couldn't be happier, love."

Alec gave Magnus's hand a gentle squeeze. "Neither could I."

"Um, Alec," Isabelle spoke, nodding in the direction of the bleachers.

Alec immediately saw what she was indicating towards. His father was rapidly making his way toward them, looking anything but happy. Alec noticed his mother had taken a seat in the stands and had her hand over her mouth. Max was seated next to her, looking confused.

Robert planted himself directly in front of Alec, Jace, and Isabelle, not bothering to acknowledge Magnus.

"We're leaving," he said forcefully. "Get in the car."

"Dad, there's a celebration we're supposed to go to," Isabelle objected. "It's the end of the season!"

"I don't care," he replied, grabbing his daughter's arm roughly. "The car. Now."

"Robert, you can't just-"

"Jonathan, I am your caretaker. I can do whatever I want."

"Dad-" Alec began, but was immediately stopped when his father met his eyes. His face was steel.

"The car, Alexander. Go." The man put a hand on Alec and Jace's backs, pushing them towards the parking lot.

A few cries followed-Isabelle's indignant "Dad!" as she was herded away from her friends, Maryse's shout of "Robert!" from the bleachers, and Magnus's tentative but insistent "Mr. Lightwood!"-Robert was unmoved by all and continued to herd his oldest children to the car, Maryse and Max hurrying to catch up.

Magnus made a move to go after them but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Call him in an hour or so." Ragnor's stern, but oddly sympathetic, voice reached Magnus's ears. "If you go after them right now, you'll only make the situation worse for him."

"Max, Isabelle, and Jace, go to your rooms. Get in bed," Robert commanded as soon as they all stepped in the house. "Your mother and I need to talk to Alexander."

"Alec didn't do anything wrong!" Isabelle protested.

"Go to your room, Isabelle." Robert's voice was stern.

She turned to Maryse. "Mom, please, don't let him do anything to Alec. Magnus is-"

"Isabelle, it's fine," Alec interrupted. "Just go."

Dejectedly, she stormed off, quickly followed by Jace and Max. Alec sat on the couch, tapping his fingers against his knee anxiously. His parents placed themselves in two chairs across from him.

"By the Angel, Alec, what were you thinking?" Robert demanded.

Alec flinched at his father's tone. "I was thinking about how tired I've been of hiding who I am." He bit the inside of his cheek. "I'm not sorry for what I did."

"Do you not understand what this could do to my campaign?" Robert ran his hand through his thinning hair. He gave Alec a look of utter frustration.

Alec felt suddenly angry. "Do you not understand what this has done to my whole life?"

Robert clenched his fists. "Alexander-"

"Who was that boy you kissed?" Maryse interrupted.

Alec gave her a bewildered look. "Why are you asking?"

"I want to know who it is that you entirely changed your life for."

Alec blinked. "My boyfriend. His name is Magnus."

"How did you even meet him?" Robert questioned. "It was obvious from the way he looked he doesn't go to Angel Raziel Academy."

"He goes to public school," Alec replied. "We met at a party Jace and Is dragged me to last summer."

At that, both Maryse and Robert looked startled.

"Last summer?!" Robert asked. "How long have you been-" He paused, looking for the right words. "-seeing this boy?"

"A little over nine months."

Robert slumped down in his seat, putting his head in his hands and swearing under his breath.

"Have you been intimate?" Maryse questioned.

"Mom!"

"That's a perfectly reasonable question, Alexander, you could have an STD," Maryse explained.

"Christ, Mom, Magnus doesn't have any STDs."

She was not convinced. "You don't know that. You know how dangerous-"

"Yes, Mom, I know that my boyfriend isn't diseased!" Alec snapped, suddenly irritated. "You don't seem worried that Jace is getting any diseases from Clary, or Izzy from Simon."

"We've known Clarissa and Simon for years," Maryse defended. "We know they're good people!"

"Magnus is a good person!" Alec almost stood up but didn't want to upset his parents further.

"Evidently, he's not!" Robert shouted angrily, slamming his fists on the coffee table. "Look what he's done to you, Alexander! What he has turned you into is _disgustingly_ wrong."

"He hasn't done anything to me!" Alec felt rage rising up inside him. "I'm gay, Dad. I've known this for years and there's nothing you can do to change it. The only thing Magnus did to me was show me that I could live a life that wasn't utterly _miserable_."

Robert took a deep breath, seemingly dejected. "Give me your phone."

"What? Why?" Alec demanded.

"Tensions are high right now," he said. "The media has undoubtedly already started covering the events of tonight. Plus, we're all exhausted." He walked over to the Lightwood family safe in a compartment in the wall. "We'll all put our phones in here until the morning. We'll get some sleep, and decide how to move forward tomorrow. Let's give ourselves time to think everything over without any distractions or outside influences."

Alec begrudgingly handed his father his cell phone.

"Fuck!" Magnus threw his phone across the room when he was once again sent to voicemail.

Catarina gingerly picked it up. "You're lucky it's not broken," she said, gently tossing it back to him.

"I'm not sure why you're surprised." Ragnor gave Magnus a hard look. "He didn't answer ten minutes ago either."

It was the morning after the game, and the three friends were all gathered in Ragnor's living room. Magnus was stretched out on the sofa, Ragnor was sitting politely in an armchair, and Catarina was perched on the back of the couch. Ragnor and Cat had thought it best that they stay with Magnus to nurse his panic attack, which ended up being a good idea. Magnus had called Alec seventeen times in twelve hours with no answer each time.

Magnus buried himself in a couch cushion. "This is all my fault."

Catarina looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't have pushed him to come out," Magnus elaborated. "None of this would have happened if I had just been patient."

"You were patient, Magnus. You were with him for over nine months! That's a long time to keep a secret."

"I knew he wasn't in a supportive environment. God, I was so selfish!"

"No, you're n-"

"You're on the news," Ragnor interjected into the conversation, indicating toward the television. Magnus hadn't noticed he'd turned it on.

The newscaster's voice washed over the three of them, hushing their voices.

"Last night, Alexander Lightwood, son of Republican front runner for New York senate, Robert Lightwood, was seen kissing an unidentified young man at Angel Raziel Academy's championship soccer game." Footage from after the game began playing in the corner of the screen, beginning with the kiss and ending with Robert hauling Alec out of the stadium. "Robert Lightwood has not yet commented on the situation, though he has previously spoken out against homosexuality."

The reporter delved into more details as Magnus punched the cushion to his right, making Catarina jump.

"I did this to him!" Magnus exclaimed in hysterics. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, this is what he was so afraid of and I just-"

Catarina leapt off the couch and placed both her hands on Magnus's shoulders, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Magnus, listen to me," she demanded. "Whatever happens because of this, it is _not_ your responsibility. You had no idea Alec was going to come out last night. You never told him he had to, in fact, you were more understanding than anyone else would have been. He's a grown man who makes his own decisions. He knows his family and the media better than you. He knew this would be a possibility. He didn't _care_. You did nothing wrong."

Magnus felt a tear drip onto his cheek and cursed himself silently. "They can make his life a living hell, Cat. They can hurt him _so bad_."

"I know, hon." She pulled him into a hug, gently rubbing his back. "And I'm so sorry."

"Tessa wants to know if you're okay," Ragnor said, looking at his phone. "She was watching the news with Will, who is shocked as well. Aren't he and Alec related?"

"Distantly," Magnus replied emotionlessly. "Tell Tessa I'm a fucking mess, but I'll be okay."

He nodded, typing away at his phone.

"We'll do whatever we can for Alec," Catarina assured Magnus. "I promise."

"Thank you, Cat. It means a lot."

"The media is in a frenzy trying to figure out who you are," Ragnor informed them. "I'm sure someone from our school already gave a name and address."

"I'm calling Alec." Magnus reached for his phone, clicking Alec's contact from his favorites.

"You shouldn't-" Ragnor began, but the phone was already ringing.

 _Ring, ring, ring, ring, click_.

Magnus's breath caught in his throat. "Alexander, darling, oh my God-"

"Magnus, it's Izzy."

"Isabelle," Magnus said, puzzled. Ragnor and Catarina gave him identical looks of confusion. "Why do you have Alec's phone? Is he alright? What-"

"Slow down," she said from the other end of the line. "Alec's fine-well, I think he is. He's talking with our parents again."

"Why do you have his phone?"

"Our parents locked it in a safe. I got it out because I figured someone should tell you what's going on."

"What _is_ going on?" he questioned.

"Look, can you just meet me at the soccer field in fifteen minutes? I need to swing by there anyway, and I don't want my parents listening in."

"I'll be there."

Alec was seated on one of stools for his kitchen island. His mother sat politely in a stool on the other side of the island and his father stood a few feet behind her, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. The kitchen doors were shut and locked. No one seemed eager to start the inevitably painful conversation.

Alec picked up the mug in front of him and took a slow sip of black coffee. He noticed that on one side of the mug was picture of his father with the words: "Robert Lightwood for New York State Senate". _How ironic_ , Alec thought to himself, _given that I may have just ruined his chances at office._

Robert was the one to break the silence. "I talked to my campaign manager this morning. This whole situation could be very bad for our family."

Alec discreetly rolled his eyes. "My intention wasn't to hurt your campaign, Dad. Shockingly enough, how my actions might affect your chances at the Senate isn't the only thing I think about."

If looks could kill, Alec would be six feet underground. "Don't give me your snark, Alexander," Robert ordered. "You don't want to press your luck with me today."

Alec sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just nervous and frustrated."

"What are you so worried about?" Maryse questioned.

"What you two are about to do to me, what you'll do to Magnus, going back to school on Monday, the fact that I haven't talked to Magnus, Jace, or Izzy since last night. I could go on if you would like."

Maryse gave him an exasperated look. "You should have been prepared for all of this before you decided to make a scene, Alexander!"

"I did," Alec told her. "And I'm scared of what's going to happen, but that doesn't mean I would change what I did."

"I take it you're not willing to tell the press that the thrill of the game made you impulsive," Robert mused. "That was what my campaign manager thought best."

"No, Dad, of course I won't do that."

Robert rubbed his temples. "Alec, I know you don't think this, but what you're doing is morally wrong. It's not what God intended."

Alec felt his breath catch in his throat. Alec had expected his father to stand true to his bigoted beliefs, but Robert's words crushed any hope he had.

"I think you should find somewhere to stay for a little while," Robert concluded.

"What?" Alec and Maryse exclaimed in unison that would have been comedic in a different situation.

"Alec, you're my son, and I love you," Robert said. "But as a religious person, I won't-I can't accept this. I think we all need some time to-"

"You're kicking me out?" Alec asked. He could feel tears creeping up his throat. "I'm your son and you're just sending me out into the streets!?"

"Robert, you can't just-"

"It's only temporary," Robert explained as if that somehow made everything okay. "You'll probably come back home as soon as the election is over."

"Our son is not just an obstacle in your campaign, Robert!" Maryse cried indignantly, rising from her stool. "You can't just make him disappear!"

"I know that, Maryse," Robert said. "As I said, I still love Alexander. I just cannot understand this new-lifestyle-of his, and we all need some distance in order to acclimate."

"Robert, you're being un-"

Alec looked down at the marble countertop, shaking his head angrily. His knuckles turned white as he clutched his mug.

"You asshole." He looked directly at his father, fury and disbelief in his blue eyes.

"Alexander, watch your language," Robert advised.

"Fuck no," Alec growled, hurling the mug to the floor, shattering it against the tile. "Fuck this, fuck you, and _fuck your precious campaign_. I've spent my entire life trying to please you! I'm at the top of my class, I'm athletic, I never get into _any_ trouble, I've taken care of Max when you've been away for work, I go to parties that I hate to make sure that Jace and Izzy don't get wasted and make horrible decisions, and I've never complained about any of it!

"The only thing I've _ever_ done to upset you is choosing to let the world know who I love, which shouldn't have any impact on you at all! I've _hated_ myself for so many years. Do you not get that? The only thing that's changed about me is that someone finally taught me that I deserved better than a life of self-loathing and misery, and it sure as hell wasn't you."

Alec paused, regaining his composure. His parents were both staring at him, shell-shocked.

"I'll go pack a bag," he told both of them. Then, he turned to his father. "I have no desire to be somewhere I'm not wanted."

Magnus had only spent time with Isabelle Lightwood twice in his life, and both of those times he'd been accompanied by her brother. From the few interactions he'd had with her, she'd made it evident she was a powerful force to be reckoned with. This would have intimidated Magnus if not for the fact that she was also fiercely protective of her brother, and Magnus was certain he'd shown her that he would never hurt Alec. That in itself had put Magnus on her good side, which he felt very thankful for as he hurried to meet up with the young woman.

He saw her on the sidelines of the field, reaching under the bench, seemingly looking for something. Magnus assumed she found what she was looking for because she stood up with a small rectangular structure in her palms and wiped the dirt off the object with the back of her hand. She looked up and caught sight of Magnus, waving him over. He hurried to her.

"By the Angel, you look like a mess," said Isabelle, taking in his appearance. She had a point-he was wearing the same yellow leather pants and boots he had worn yesterday, but he borrowed a simple grey T-shirt from Ragnor that just made him look bleak. His hair was free of product (and in complete disarray) and he had a bit of makeup smudged around his eyes because he was too distraught to wash his face before he fell asleep last night.

Magnus frowned. "Isabelle, you're always the charmer."

She looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive-"

"It's fine." Magnus waved her off. "Is Alec okay?"

She looked even more apologetic. "I'm not actually certain. Last night, I was eavesdropping on Alec's conversation with my parents, and there was a lot of yelling, mostly from my dad. He ordered Alec and my mom to put their phones in our safe until they get everything sorted out, so they wouldn't be influenced by media coverage, but I took it out so I could call you. I left this morning before I could find out anything about what they decide today."

"Do you still have Alec's phone?" Magnus questioned.

"No, I left it at the house."

Magnus pulled his phone out of his back pocket. "I'm calling him."

"Don't," Isabelle said. "I'm sure he's still with my parents."

"I'm so fucking worried-"

"Isabelle!" A male voice shouted suddenly. Magnus whirled around to find the source of the sound and saw a blonde boy jogging over to them. He looked vaguely familiar.

"Jonathan, what are you doing here?" Isabelle asked.

Magnus realized that this was Jonathan Morgenstern, the boy Alec had been fighting with for the past few weeks. His presence filled Magnus with nerves.

"I was actually on my way to your house," he explained. "Neither Jace or Alec have answered any of my calls and a few of the guys are really worried."

"Alec didn't have his phone on him and Jace left his here in the chaos of last night." She held up the device Magnus had seen her find under the bench. "The lucky bastard-I can't believe no one stole it."

"So what even happened after-?" he asked.

"My dad is really upset," Isabelle told him. "I don't know what's going to happen."

"Is Alec in any danger?" Magnus asked. "Is anyone on your team really upset with him?"

Jonathan acknowledged Magnus for the first time.

"By the Angel, I didn't even recognize you! I guess you must be Alec's boyfriend." He offered Magnus his hand. "I'm Jonathan Morgenstern, one of Alec's teammates."

"Magnus Bane," he introduced. "Now back to my question..."

Jonathan frowned. "Honestly, I'm not sure if Alec is at risk. Most of us don't care, but a few of the guys seem really upset. They're seriously outnumbered, but they exist."

Magnus rubbed the back of his head anxiously. "That's what he was afraid of."

"We've all known Alec for years. I swear he has eighty-five percent of us to defend him."

"You might need to," Magnus muttered.

"It's the 21st century, I really don't think most of the school will care."

Magnus gave the boy a hard look. "You never know what prejudices people hold and what they're capable of until something happens to bring those emotions to the forefront."

"That's a fairly negative outlook on humanity," Isabelle mused.

Magnus shrugged. "I've learned from experience." He felt his phone buzz and he quickly looked down at it, frowning. "I have to go. My mother wants me home. Apparently, it's urgent." He looked at the two people standing in front of him. "Thank you both so much for your help. I mean it."

"I'll tell Alec to call both of you when I get home," Isabelle told them. "We'll help him get through whatever shit this causes."

Alec wasn't quite sure how he had wound up on the doorstep to Magnus's apartment with nothing but his phone and a duffle bag full of money and clothes. When Alec had arrived, there had been reporters on the streets who had tried to speak to him, but he had waved them away. He assumed someone had leaked Magnus's identity to the press, which caused a pang of regret to flare in his chest. He knew how unbearable reporters could be, especially in the midst of a scandal.

Logically, he knew he should be finding somewhere to stay for a few weeks, but he didn't know where to start. He had no idea which of his supposed friends were still actually his friends, and which of them would still be comfortable having a gay guy sleeping in their house. Plus, Alec was desperate to talk to Magnus about this whole debacle, so he forced himself to knock on the door.

A short, pale woman opened the door for him. The wrinkles around her eyes and her greying blonde hair indicated that she was probably in her late forties. She was dressed simply in a long, floral skirt and a plain white top.

Alec offered her his hand, putting on his practiced friendly smile. "Hello, you must be Mrs. Bane. I'm Alec Lightwood. Is Magnus here by any chance?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. "I recognized you from the news." He attempted to hide a cringe. "Magnus unfortunately isn't here right now."

"Oh, alright, I should have called to check. I'll just head out then-"

"No, please stay," she said, ushering him through the door. "Magnus will be home within half an hour. You can just wait here with me."

Alec nodded politely, awkwardly standing next to the door.

He had been in Magnus's apartment quite a few times, and yet he felt very uncomfortable. He looked around the kitchen the door led to, noting counter space along both walls and a four-person table in front of the window at the end of the room. There was an archway on the wall beside the table that Alec knew led to the living room, which Magnus's bedroom and bathroom were connected to. The master bedroom was down a short hallway. The loft wasn't particularly large, but it always felt homey.

Magnus's mother gave him a very maternal look and gestured to the kitchen table.

"Feel free to have a seat," she said kindly. Alec awkwardly sat down as she walked over to the stove. "Would you like anything to drink? Tea, or coffee, or-?"

"Just water would be great. Thank you, Mrs. Bane."

"Please, call me Judy," she said as she filled a cup with water from the tap. "Anyone over sixteen is too old to call me missus." She set the glass down in front of him, and then took a seat across from him.

Alec took a slow sip of the water, not looking at Magnus's mother. He didn't know how to start the conversation. Lucky for him, she stepped in and did it instead.

"I knew Magnus had a boyfriend, but I had no idea that he was so famous," she said.

Alec frowned. "My father is famous. I'm completely ordinary."

She smiled at him. "No one is ordinary." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "If my son is to believed, you're certainly not the exception. I've heard many great things about you."

Alec sent her a small grin. "I'm glad he speaks so highly of me."

"He's quite fond of you," she informed him. "And I know my son is an excellent judge of character."

"That's very kind of you Mrs. Ba-Judy."

She sat up straighter in her chair. "I hope I'm not overstepping here, but I have a question for you." Alec looked at her expectantly. "You've never been here while I was home before, so I assume this isn't just a social call. The fact that my friends are blowing up my Facebook page with messages about Magnus being on the news also backs up that theory. So what are you doing here? Why aren't you with your family?"

Alec bit the inside of his cheek, trying to decide how much to tell her. He had decided to be very vague, but then he made eye contact with the woman. Her eyes reminded him of his mother's when he was young-open and trustworthy. He let the entire story spill out of his mouth, starting with his meeting Magnus and ending with being kicked out.

Alec noticed her clench her fists, her lips pulled into a tight line. "You can stay here," she said, more as a command than a suggestion. "You can stay for as long as you'd like."

"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Alec began, "I didn't mean to imply that I needed you to take me in. I'll find a friend-or a hotel-and just stay there for a little while. I mean-you hardly know me-"

"Did Magnus ever tell you why we adopted him?" she interrupted.

Alec gave her a confused look. "Yeah, he said he was a child of rape. His birth mother killed herself and his stepfather tried to drown him when he was five. He went into the system, and you and your husband happened to be looking to adopt."

"Magnus was abandoned by his parents, the only people expected to love and protect their child unconditionally. They didn't fulfill their responsibility, so we did it for them," she explained. "Of course, this isn't at all the same situation, but your parents seem to have temporarily forgotten their responsibilities to you, so I'm more than happy to at least house you until they remember."

Alec found himself at a loss for words. "That's-that's very kind of you."

She smiled at him. "I'm only doing what I think is right."

Alec was astonished. "I don't know what to say-"

Suddenly, the door burst open. "Mom, what's the emergency? I was with-Oh my God, Alec!"

Alec stood up and he was immediately wrapped in Magnus's loving arms. Magnus buried one of his hands in Alec's hair and the other drew circles on his back.

"Darling, are you alright? I spoke with your sister and she didn't know-"

"I'm fine, Magnus," Alec assured him. "Don't worry so much."

"Alec will be staying with us for a few weeks," Judy spoke.

Magnus looked puzzled. "What? Why?"

Magnus noticed the tightening of Alec's jaw. "My father thinks it's best that I stay away from him for a little while."

"That's terrible, Alexander! Do your siblings know yet?"

Alec's phone began to ring. He looked at down at the small screen. "I think they just found out. Please excuse me, I have to take this." He walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Isabelle, I don't-"

Magnus locked eyes with his mother. "How long has he been here?"

She shrugged. "About twenty minutes. Did you get stopped by the press on the way in?"

"They tried to ask me a few questions, but I ignored them."

"Don't tell them anything the next time you see them. If it becomes evident that you won't give them what they want, they'll leave you alone."

Magnus nodded, not replying. He averted his eyes to the floor and rubbed the back of his head anxiously.

"What are you thinking about?" his mother asked.

"Everything. What's going to happen with Alec's classmates? How could his parents do this? How does he feel about this whole mess? Where will he even sleep-?"

Magnus didn't stop for a breath until his mother cut him off.

"Magnus, slow down. Most of those questions you'll have to ask him, because I'm not inside his head. I can tell you that he'll just sleep in your room. You're both adults and you know your father and I aren't particularly strict."

Magnus took a deep breath. "Thank you, Mom. For everything you're doing."

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating Robert Lightwood's son? You know I would have kept the secret. You left me wondering what was so wrong with this kid that I couldn't meet him, and it worried me."

Magnus shrugged. "He wanted to keep it as private as possible. I didn't mean to concern you."

"You're my child. It's impossible for me _not_ to be concerned about you."

The front door opened and Magnus's father bounded in. Alfred Bane was a short, broad man in his early fifties who had long since lost every hair on his head. He worked as a baker in a quaint pastry shop owned by a sweet, elderly couple who lived down the street.

When he saw Magnus and Judy near the front door, he immediately began talking, "Thank God, you're both here. Can someone please explain to me why my phone has been blowing up with messages about my son being involved in some political affair?"

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Well that seems a tad dramatic."

It was at that moment Alec came back into the room. Upon catching sight of Magnus's father, he smiled in a very rehearsed way.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Alec Lightwood." Alec offered the older man his hand.

Alfred took it skeptically. "Alfred Bane."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bane."

"Alfred is fine. Mister has always seemed terribly formal to me."

Alec smiled politely. "I see you and your wife have the same outlook."

Alfred nodded, and an awkward silence fell on the room.

"Magnus, perhaps you and Alec should go unpack his things. Your father and I should chat."

"Right," Magnus replied and gestured for Alec to follow him into his room. When they arrived, Magnus sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. "God, Alec, I'm so sorry about everything."

"What are you apologizing for?" Alec asked quizzically.

"Your dad kicked you out, your family is divided, and there are reporters tracking your every move. Everything you were afraid of is happening." Magnus was mildly hysterical. "I've made your life such a mess and I-"

"Wait, are you serious?" Magnus gave his boyfriend a pitiful look. "Magnus, you haven't done _anything_ besides make me fall in love with you, and that's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Everything that's going on now is because of my actions, not yours."

"You did it _for me_ though!" Magnus was not soothed. "I shouldn't have pressured you-"

"You didn't pressure me, and I don't regret doing it anyway. You don't think I wish I could take it back, do you?"

Magnus frowned. "I wasn't sure."

"Regardless of all the drama and uncertainty I threw myself into, I have never felt more free. And that's because of you. So no matter what happens, I'll be fine and so will we."

"I just want you to be happy," Magnus said quietly.

"Being with you makes me happier than you'll ever know."

Alec was nervous. More nervous than he'd ever been. Monday had arrived, and he had to go back to school.

"Darling, you'll be fine," Magnus assured him. "I told you Jonathan said your team was on your side."

"What if it's not fine though? You don't know what my school is like."

"You only have two more weeks before you graduate. After that, if you don't want to, you never have to see anyone at your school ever again."

Alec let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You're right. I'm making a big deal out of nothing."

"I'm always right," Magnus joked. "You should get to class. It takes me ten minutes to get to my school, so I have to get going or I'll be late."

"Right, sorry. Thanks so much for driving me."

"It's no problem. I'll pick you up here when I get out."

"I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you at the end of the day."

With that, Magnus drove away and Alec started walking toward the building. He was glad that it wasn't too crowded because Magnus had to drop him off early.

"Alec!" Jace shouted out from across the parking lot, as he jogged over. "How are you holding up?"

Alec shrugged. "As well as I could be, I guess. How are things back home?"

"Not great, to be honest." Jace told him. "Maryse, Izzy, and I have all turned against Robert, and Max is upset because no one will give him a straight answer about where you are."

"What have you been telling him when he asks?"

"I've just said that you're staying with someone else for a little while. When he asked Izzy, she said 'Ask Dad. He's the reason Alec's gone'. She's the most blatantly disdainful to your father."

By this time, they had reached the front doors of Angel Raziel Academy and were on their way inside.

"Poor Max," Alec began. "He must be-"

"Mr. Lightwood," the principal, Imogen Herondale, interrupted them. She was standing just to the side of the entryway, as if she was waiting for them. "Could I have a word with you in my office?"

Alec hesitated, surprised by her question."Um, yes, Principal Herondale," he finally responded.

"What do you want to talk to him about?" Jace demanded.

"Nothing that concerns you, Jonathan," she replied in a harsh tone.

"If it concerns Alec-"

"Jace, leave it," Alec interrupted him. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

Jace nodded slowly, not taking his glare off of the principal. "If you need me, I'll be in gym."

"I'm fine. Go."

Jace clenched his jaw in frustration, but did as he was told.

"Sorry about him," Alec said as he followed Imogen into her office. "We can both get fairly protective of each other. He has good intentions."

"Have a seat," she instructed, ignoring Alec's apology. "We need to discuss your behavior after Friday's game."

"My behavior?" Alec questioned. "I don't know what you're implying."

"Don't play dumb with me, boy. You were representing our school when you pulled that stunt of yours. We had to drive reporters away from the school this morning."

"Sorry? I don't know what you want me to say." Alec crossed his arms. "Denounce my actions if you want, but the damage is already done."

"You're making my life more difficult than you know, Alexander."

Alec laughed. "I'm not sorry that I inconvenienced you by kissing my boyfriend."

"I don't want anything like this to happen again. You know this school has traditional values."

"I graduate in two weeks. That won't be a problem."

"It already is a problem!"

"With all due respect, ma'am, it's a problem you created for yourself. This wouldn't be an issue if ARA didn't teach that bigotry is the right thing." The principal was silent. "If I don't leave now, I'll be late for my first class. Is this conversation over?"

She nodded, and Alec swiftly exited the office.

Everything was going surprisingly well for Alec until the end of seventh period. He had stayed late to help clean up the lab they had been working on, and he was walking alone down the side stairs of Angel Raziel Academy.

His outlook on his day was more positive than he'd predicted it would be. Sure, he had been called a homophobic slur or two in passing, but it was nothing compared to what he had feared. He had spoken to most of his teammates at lunch and none of them seemed upset. A few had even expressed a desire to meet Magnus. It seemed like most people really didn't care.

Alec was startled out of his thoughts by someone shoving him into a wall.

"What the-"

Three of Alec's classmates stood in front of him, two of whom were on his soccer team.

"What was that shit you pulled on Friday, Lightwood?" It was one of the forwards on the team, Sam Greendell.

Alec ignored the question and moved to walk away, but was swiftly pushed back into the wall.

"Answer me when I talk to you, faggot," Sam said.

"What did you just call me?" Alec questioned.

Sam swung at his face, hitting the target with a resounding pound.

Robert Lightwood had insisted that all his children learn to fight starting at a young age, so Alec knew how to defend himself from at least one, even two opponents at once. Three was a bit much, but Alec concluded he didn't really have another choice.

Alec threw the second punch.

Magnus was waiting impatiently in his car. Alec had said he'd be out five minutes ago, and yet Magnus was sitting alone, without a word from Alec.

 _R u coming?_ he texted, frowning at his phone. Magnus had never been known for his patience and this was no exception. He was ready to go home and start on his piles of homework, and then take a nap.

Magnus put his keys back in the ignition and turned on the radio, bobbing his head slightly to the music. To his left, he saw a familiar figure dart past.

He quickly pulled out his keys and opened to door.

"Isabelle, do you know what's taking Alec so long?" Magnus shouted after her.

Isabelle whirled around, surprised to see him.

"He got in a fight," she spoke frantically. "Jace didn't text me all the details but he's in the nurse's office. I was just on my way."

"Oh my God." Magnus ran after her, both of them hurrying into the building and to the office.

When they arrived, they saw Jace standing by the doorway with his arms crossed and the school nurse gently applying ice to Alec's temple.

"What happened?! Darling, are you alright?" Magnus knelt down next to Alec, reaching out to touch the boy's cheek. "Oh my God, your face, what did they do to your beautiful face?"

"I'm fine, Magnus. Everyone's making a big deal out of nothing."

"It's not nothing," the nurse corrected. "From what I understand about the situation, you could press assault charges."

"What is that situation?" Isabelle demanded.

"A few guys cornered Alec in the staircase and picked a fight," Jace explained. "They ran off when I got there, but I could easily identify them."

"Don't bother, I hardly got a scratch," Alec said. "I just want to go back to Magnus's and forget about this."

"Alec, I can already see a black eye forming and you're bleeding from above your eyebrow," Magnus disagreed. "I don't know what injuries are under your clothes"

"I have to call your mother," the nurse said.

"You can if you want to, but I'm going to leave."

"You should really wait here for her," the nurse instructed.

"She won't come, she has a job. Besides, I'm fine. I'll just be on my way." Alec rose from his seat as he spoke, heading toward the door.

"Are you going to press charges?" the nurse asked him.

"No."

"Alec, you need to!" Isabelle protested.

"I just don't want this to be a big thing," Alec said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

He walked out without another word.

"Um, I guess I should leave," Magnus said somewhat awkwardly. "After all, I am his ride."

Magnus hurried out after Alec, chasing the boy down the hallway. Alec was nearing the car by the time Magnus caught him.

"Damn, you can walk _fast_ when you put your mind to it," Magnus laughed, panting slightly.

"I wanted to get out of there," the pale boy explained, sliding into the passenger seat.

"We're talking about this before I drive anywhere."

"Magnus, it's really not important-"

"You were the victim of a hate crime, Alexander. We need to talk about how you feel."

"What do you want me to say?" Alec snapped. "That I'm _scared_. I was attacked, of course, I'm scared! I'm absolutely terrified, not just of what's going to happen tomorrow but of the distant future as well! The _third day_ I'm out of the closet, I get assaulted. What does this mean for the rest of my life?"

"Alec, I can't imagine how this must be for you, and I won't pretend-"

"You're my boyfriend not my therapist!" Alec barked. "Would you just drive?!"

Magnus was taken aback. Alec had never spoken to him like that before. And Magnus didn't like it.

Without a word, he started the car and began pulling out of his parking space.

After a few minutes of an awkward silence, Alec spoke up. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper. You were only trying to help."

"If you don't want me to be your therapist, I won't try to be your therapist. But if you won't talk to me, maybe you should find someone who you will talk to."

"No, I'll talk to you, just-not now. Give me some time, okay?"

"As much time as you need," Magnus assured. "But trust me, I know from experience that you need to talk about it."

Alec gave him a cheesy grin. "Anything for you."

It had been almost two weeks since Robert had forced Alec out of the house, and Alec was adjusting to life with the Banes fairly well. The family had welcomed him with open arms, and they had developed a bit of a routine: grab a granola bar for breakfast, drive to school, suffer through the school day (though that was practically over), drive home, do homework, eat dinner, and go to bed (with sporadic make-out sessions here and there when Judy and Alfred weren't around). It wasn't the ideal situation, but it was comfortable.

"Thank you so much for dinner, Alfred," Alec said politely. "I'll wash up for everyone."

Judy gave Magnus a pointed look. "You've never offered to do the dishes for us."

"I think it's been established that Alec is an overall better person than I am," Magnus retorted with a shrug. "But I suppose I'll help out if you're going to be on my ass about it."

Another thing that has shocked Alec about the Banes was how nonchalant they were when Magnus swore.

"You can help Alec carry in the plates," Alfred suggested.

"I hardly think he needs the help," Magnus observed, picking up a few plates anyway.

A buzzing rang throughout the apartment.

"I'll get that," Judy said, heading toward the front door. Alfred excused himself to the kitchen as well.

"You've got to stop making me look bad in front of my parents," Magnus joked. "Since you've moved in, their view of me has plummeted."

"They adore you," Alec responded. "Besides, I'm just being polite!"

"If you say so-"

"Alec! It's for you!" Judy shouted from the other room.

He hurried into the kitchen and did a double take when he saw who was at the front door.

"Dad?"

"Alexander," he replied. "We should talk in the hall."

Alec followed him outside. They stood in silence for a few moments.

"I heard that you were assaulted last week."

"I figured Mom would tell you." Alec shrugged. "She's been trying to convince me to press charges."

"You should press charges. They can be tried as adults."

"You're not afraid a big trial would hurt your campaign?" Alec spoke bitterly.

"Alec, that's actually what I came to speak to you about."

"What else could I possibly have done wrong-?"

"I came here to apologize. I want you to come home."

His words took Alec by surprise. "But what about your campaign?"

"I was stupid of me to choose that over my own son."

"Look, Dad, I really appreciate the apology, but I don't want to go back to somewhere where I have to hide and I'm not accepted. I've done that for eighteen years and-"

"Alexander, I'm not going to pretend that being-gay-makes sense to me, and I'm not saying I won't make mistakes, but I'm going to try-I am trying-to understand."

"That means a lot, Dad."

"So, are you willing to come home?"

"On one condition."

"Anything."

"I want you to meet my boyfriend."

"You do? Why?"

Alec gave his father a puzzled look. "Because you're my dad and I love him, and I'm pretty sure it's customary for you, and Mom for that matter, to meet him at some point."

Robert stood there unsurely for a moment, before murmuring a simple, "Alright. I'll meet him." Without another word, Robert pushed open the door and Magnus leapt back. It was apparent that he'd been eavesdropping, and Magnus had the decency to look sheepish.

"It's been brought to my attention that I should know you better than I do," Robert began. "I don't understand your lifestyle or my relationship with my son, but you're clearly important to him, so I've decided to make an effort." Robert stuck out his hand to shake. "My name is Robert Lightwood, and I look forward to learning more about you."

Magnus seemed taken aback by Robert's speech, but he quickly recovered, taking Robert's hand in his own.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Lightwood. I'm Magnus Bane."


	11. New Year's Eve

**Happy 2017, everyone! I hope you enjoy this little New Year's Eve one shot. I really wanted to get it out today, so it hasn't been torn apart by my editor, but I hope it's good enough for you all!**

Snow and sleet were beating down upon New York City. The streets were coated in a thin layer of ice. Seeing ten feet in front of you was a triumph. The newscasters had warned citizens to stay indoors and stock up on food, because no one knew how long to snowstorm would last. It seemed to be one of the few times in modern history when the streets of New York weren't packed with people, going about their chaotic routines.

The overwhelming stillness and cold, however, did not reach the inside of a particular loft in Brooklyn. It's four occupants were gathered in the living room, one spread out on the velvet loveseat, tickling the four-year-old on his lap. The other two were working together to take down a ten-foot-tall Christmas tree.

"I hate seeing the decorations come down," Magnus mused from where he was seated with Max in his lap. "It's the end of the festive season."

"We always leave them up until New Year's Eve," Alec retorted. "That's longer than a lot of people."

"Perhaps," Magnus said, "but it's still disappointing." Then, to Max, placing him on the floor, "Go help your brother take down that tinsel."

Magnus rose from the loveseat as well and went to look out their large window. "I guess we won't be watching the ball drop tonight at the Institute. It's too dangerous to go outside."

Alec shrugged. "I guess we'll have to portal to the party tonight."

"What time do we have to be there?" Magnus asked.

"Seven," the _shadowhunter_ replied, "so the boys can have some time to celebrate before they fall asleep."

"Daddy, I want to stay up!" Max whined.

"And we're not stopping you from doing that," Alec reassured his son, ruffling the boy's dark curls. "It's a special occasion. I just don't think you'll be able to stay up that late."

"I can! Tell him, Rafe, tell him!" Max exclaimed, indignant.

Rafael just shrugged. "I dunno if I can, _hermano_ *."

Max stomped his foot, pouting. "I'll show you."

Alec grinned and bent down to kiss Max's head. "I'm sure you will, baby."

"Papa," Rafael spoke, tugging on Magnus's sleeve. "Who's gonna be there tonight?"

"It'll be pretty small, Rafe, don't worry. Just close friends and family."

The boy smiled. "Will it be fun?"

"Oh, yes," Magnus assured him. "It's always fun to celebrate the start of a new year."

"Can we play out in the snow before we go?"

"I'm afraid not, Rafe," Magnus said. "It's too cold outside." When the young boy frowned, Magnus added, "Aw, don't worry, _mi hijo_ *. We don't need the outdoors to have fun."

"Rafael, hurry and put on your shoes," Alec urged. "We're already late."

"Sorry, Daddy," the boy responded, shoving his _Skechers_ on his feet. Alec placed a loving hand on his shoulder.

"Portal's ready," Magnus announced. "Let's head out. Max, hold my hand." Then to Alec, "You got Rafael?"

Alec nodded, and the four of them stepped through the portal into the Institute's front hall.

"There are my favorite nephews!" Isabelle greeted as soon as she saw the family. "It's been too long since I've seen you two!"

"We were all here three days ago," Alec pointed out.

"Exactly," Isabelle agreed, lovingly patting the backs of the two young children hugging her waist. "I can't go without seeing these boys for three whole days."

Alec laughed, shaking his head at his sister. "Is everyone in the ballroom?"

"No, we decided to just have it in the living room since there are only a few of us," Isabelle explained. "There are two glasses of champagne waiting for you."

"That's what I like to hear," Magnus joked. "Come on, boys, let's go greet everybody."

The five of them walked down the corridor until they reached the main living room of the Institute. Upon catching sight of his nephews, Jace reacted in a similar way to Isabelle.

"Well if it isn't my two favorite boys in the world!" He immediately leapt from his chair and rushed toward them, lifting Max in the air and ruffling Rafe's hair. "No offense to you, Alec."

Alec laughed, and went to greet the rest of the group: Clary, Simon, Maia, Maryse, Luke, and Jocelyn.

Clary and Simon swiftly went to hug their nephews, and Alec went to speak to his mother.

"Did Dad have somewhere else to be?" Alec asked Maryse, giving her a hug.

"Yes, your father couldn't get away from work, so he's in Alicante," Maryse confirmed. "He sends his love."

"How's he doing?" Alec asked. "Being _Inquisitor_ seems like it's taking a lot out of him."

Maryse shrugged. "It keeps him busy, but I think he likes it well enough. He feels like he's making a difference."

"I'm glad-"

"Grandma, Grandma!" Max exclaimed, running up to the pair.

"How's my Maxy doing?" she asked, bending down to kiss his head. "And where's your brother, I want to talk to Rafe as well."

Alec grinned at the exchange, taking his chance to wander over to Magnus, Luke, and Maia, who were engrossed in conversation.

"And then, of course, Lily made a snide remark, which escalated tensions even further," Maia was explaining. "It's amazing that we resolved that mess without any bloodshed."

"Sounds like you've had your hands full with Downworld relations," Magnus observed.

"Yeah, I'm sorry that I haven't been as involved as I used to be," Alec added. "The boys have taken up a lot of my time."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Maia assured. "We miss having you to help mitigate bad situations, but Lily and I have been handling things alright."

"That's good to hear," Alec said. "I'll probably be back relatively soon. I'm know my mother is just dying to babysit the boys more."

"Can't wait to work with you again." Maia clinked her glass with his, and took a swig. "Damn, this is some good champagne."

"I'll second that," Magnus agreed, finishing off his first glass.

"Maybe take it easy on that," Alec suggested, placing his hand on Magnus's shoulder.

Magnus grinned playfully. "Why should I? It's a celebration."

Shockingly enough, the group managed to keep their drinking to a minimum throughout the night. Most of them had coupled off as the night progressed, and were deep in conversations with their significant others.

"Three minutes until midnight," Magnus announced to the group, pulling them from their conversations. "Get the champagne ready."

The Lightwood-Bane family was gathered on the sofa. Magnus had his arm around Alec at his left and Rafael at his right. The latter was leaning on his chest, struggling to keep his eyes open, but still technically awake. The same could not be said for Max, who was sleeping peacefully in Alec's lap.

"Should we wake him up?" Alec wondered, gesturing to the four-year-old in his lap.

"I think he'd want us to," Magnus replied.

Alec gently shook Max from his sleep. "It's almost midnight, Max. Do you want to be awake for the start of the new year?"

Max nodded slightly into Alec's chest, not opening his eyes.

"Papa, are we going home soon?" Rafael asked.

" _Si_ , Rafe. Ten minutes."

The little boy smiled sleepily. "I'm tired."

"I know, baby. You'll be in bed soon."

Rafael nodded and closed his eyes.

"One minute, everyone!" Isabelle shouted, handing out glasses of champagne. "Get ready!"

Magnus stood up to grab a glass of champagne, pulling Rafael up with him. Alec followed suit, holding Max in his arms.

"You're getting too big for me to hold you, Max," Alec said playfully.

"'m a big boy," Max mumbled sleepily. Alec grinned.

"You're getting to be," he replied, mostly to himself.

"Does everyone have champagne?" Isabelle asked. Everyone nodded in affirmation. "Okay, time to start the countdown!"

"10-"

Magnus lovingly placed his hand on Rafael's shoulder.

"9-"

Alec shifted Max to rest on his other hip.

"8-"

Rafael smiled up at his Papa.

"7-"

Max rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"6-"

Luke took a step closer to Jocelyn.

"5-"

Isabelle hurried over to where Simon was standing, sliding her arm around his waist.

"4-"

Jace slipped his hand into Clary's.

"3-"

Alec locked eyes with Magnus, giving him a small smile.

"2-"

Magnus gently pushed Alec's hair out of his eyes.

"1-"

Magnus leaned in slightly.

"Happy New Year!"

The couple met with a sweet peck on the lips. Alec grinned into the kiss, before pulling back. He looked at his family all around him: his amazingly stubborn, outgoing four-year-old, his quietly kind, shy six-year-old, and the fantastic warlock whom he chose to spend his life with. He raised his glass in Magnus direction, in a private toast between the two of them.

"To many more New Years to come."

 ***Hermano: brother**

 ***Mi hijo: my boy**


End file.
